Department of Health and Social Care

Healthy Start Scheme

Andrew Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the value of Healthy Start vouchers in 2023.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Public Health: Finance

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to publish the public health grant allocations for 2023-24.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Supported Housing: Regulation

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's press release entitled £53 million cash boost to improve housing support for drug and alcohol recovery published 3 February 2023, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on plans to improve regulation of supported exempt housing.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Maternity Exemption Certificates for prescription charges, how many (a) enquiry letters were issued to patients who claimed they held a valid maternity exemption certificate and (b) Penalty Charge Notices were issued to these patients in each of the last five years.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NHS tax credit exemption certificates for prescription charges, how many (a) enquiry letters were issued to patients who claimed they held a valid NHS tax credit exemption certificates and (b) Penalty Charge Notices were issued to these patients in each of the last five years.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Medical Exemption Certificates for prescription charges, how many (a) enquiry letters were issued to patients who claimed they held a valid medical exemption certificate and (b) Penalty Charge Notices were issued to these patients in each of the last five years.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Primary Health Care: Pharmacy

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of whether community pharmacies have adequate funding for the role envisaged for them in the primary care recovery plan.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the use of community pharmacies in future covid-19 vaccination programmes.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Primary Health Care: Pharmacy

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proposals will be included in the primary care recovery plan on using community pharmacies to support the health service.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Alcoholism and Drugs: Rehabilitation

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the press release entitled £53 million cash boost to improve housing support for drug and alcohol recovery, published on 3 February 2023, what metrics were used for the allocation of funding to improve housing support for drug and alcohol recovery.

Neil O'Brien: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Cancer: Mortality Rates

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February 2023 to Question 125401 on Cancer: Mortality Rates, if he will make it his policy to ensure that consideration of NHS (a) priorities and (b) targets for cancer treatment includes an assessment of the potential impact of (i) late cancer diagnosis and (ii) delayed cancer treatment on trends in the prevalence of cancer mortality.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Diseases: Health Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been allocated for the development and implementation of the Major Diseases Strategy.

Helen Whately: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Staff

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of NHS staff who have emigrated abroad in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: The Department does not hold an estimate of the number of National Health Service staff who have emigrated abroad in each of the last five years.

Telemedicine: Hospital Wards

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many virtual wards there are in England; and what the overall bed occupancy rates for virtual wards is.

Will Quince: Validated data on the number and occupancy rates of virtual wards is not collected and published centrally.

NHS: Fraud

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the total value lost to fraud by the NHS in England was in each of the last five years.

Will Quince: Fraud losses in the National Health Service in England for each of the last five years are shown in the following table:PeriodFraud loss (£ million)2017/1811.12018/197.72019/2017.42020/2112.42021/2220.7Notes1. Figures shown in this table are gross losses that do not include monies subsequently recovered as a result of loss recovery activity.2. Figures shown relate to cases closed in the relevant year.Source: NHS Counter Fraud Authority Consolidated Data Report

Hospitals: Construction

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what was the total spend on consultancy fees for the New Hospitals Programme since 2019.

Will Quince: The New Hospital Programme is a national programme that is responsible for the delivery of the Government’s commitment to build 40 new hospitals. As with all Government Major Projects the national programme requires the expertise and support of external contractors to support specific and time limited elements of delivery, particularly during the programme’s establishment. The consultants the programme has engaged with have been necessary for work packages required and brought technical skills, support and experience on a temporary and specific basis.The total spend on consultancy fees since the New Hospital Programme was set up in 2020 to December 2022 is £56.7 million.Developing a hospital building programme at a national level provides opportunities to drive better standards, utilising economies of scale to provide improved value for money and enable faster delivery of the new hospital schemes. By engaging with specific consultants as a programme we have been able to use them once, rather than individual trusts separately seeking consultant support, making the process more efficient and cost effective. We continually review the number of consultants being utilised by the New Hospital Programme.

Ambulance Services

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of ambulance delays in December 2022 on mortality rates for (a) heart attack and (b) stroke patients.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities updated their Excess Mortality report on 12 January 2023. This provides data to 30 December 2022 and includes information on the causes of death which contributed to excess deaths last month.We recognise response times are an important factor for the outcomes of a range of conditions, and there are a number of significant measures in place to improve ambulance performance. The National Health Service winter resilience plan will increase NHS bed capacity by the equivalent of at least 7,000 general and acute beds, alongside significant investment to improve patient discharge from hospital, with an additional £200 million made available on top of the £500 million already invested last year. These measures help improve patient flow through hospital, reducing ambulance handover delays and enabling swifter responses to incoming 999 calls.The Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services was published on 30 January and sets out plans to bring down Category 2 response times to 30 minutes in 2023/24, with further improvements towards pre-pandemic levels the following year, including through delivering 800 new ambulances (including 100 specialist mental health vehicles).

Guy's Hospital: Poisons

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the toxicologists based in Guy's Hospital's Poisons Unit are employed directly by the (a) Department of Health and Social Care, (b) NHS or (c) other organisation.

Will Quince: The three consultant clinical toxicologists (and two emergency physicians with an interest in clinical toxicology) are all employed by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT) with full-time National Health Service contracts.Guy’s Poisons Unit closed over 15 years ago. Poisons information services in the United Kingdom are run by the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) which has units in Birmingham, Newcastle, Cardiff and Edinburgh. Two of the GSTT Consultant Clinical Toxicologists are on the NPIS consultant on call rota.

Long Covid: Key Workers

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing compensation to key workers seriously impacted by long COVID.

Maria Caulfield: The Department has not made an assessment.The Department continues to work with the Department for Work and Pensions and as more evidence about the disease emerges, will consider the Government’s provisions and approach for those key workers experiencing the long-term effects of COVID-19.

Department of Health and Social Care: Expenditure

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his Department's publication of spending over £25,000 in 2022, for what purpose his Department made payments to Savill UK Ltd for the rental of Harrington House in (a) March, (b) May, (c) September and (d) November 2022; and for what reason those payments increased from £68,1381.01 to £74,242.65 in November 2022.

Will Quince: The Department has leased Harrington House, Mandeville Road, Stoke Mandeville from BMW (UK) Trustees Limited for a term of 25 years from 25 March 1999. The permitted use is as accommodation for staff and/or students training at a National Health Service hospital or for such other residential purposes as the Landlord (BMW (UK) Trustees Limited) approves.The Department sublets the property to Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and all rental costs are recovered from the trust. Savills UK Ltd are the managing agents for the Landlord and collect the rent on behalf of the Landlord, hence why payments are being made to them by the Department.The payment increases are as a result of the annual rent reviews provided for in the lease which are linked to the retail prices index.The lease expires in 2024 and will not be renewed.

NHS: Pay Settlements

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when does he plans to submit evidence to the Pay Review Body for the NHS.

Will Quince: The Government is committed to the independent pay review body (PRB) process. We have taken the step to engage with unions on our respective evidence so it can be as informed as possible.We recognise the importance of giving certainty on 2023/24 pay settlements as early as possible and the Government will publish its evidence to the PRBs in due course.

Medical Records: Digital Technology

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps to improve patient's ability to digitally access their medical records securely.

Will Quince: In line with Data Saves Lives, the data strategy for health and social care and the plan for digital health and social care, the National Health Service is working to make it easier for patients to access their health information in their general practitioner (GP) record so they can better understand and manage their health. Offering people access to their medical records online helps to reduce the burden on practice staff by allowing patients to easily access information such as test results and referral letters. NHS England has commenced rollout of the accelerated access programme to enable patients, aged 16 and over, to view new entries in their GP clinical record through their online accounts on the NHS App (or other patient online apps). This includes details of medications, test results and records of appointments they’ve had with any clinician entering information onto the system.

NHS: Workplace Pensions

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on NHS pensions.

Will Quince: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care meets routinely with Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues.

Community Care and NHS: Travel

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the increasing cost of running a car on the community care sector; and if he will make an assessment of the financial impact of those increasing costs on NHS staff who travel by car to treat patients.

Will Quince: The current mileage rate for staff who use their vehicles to make journeys in the performance of their duties is 59p per mile, above the HM Revenue and Customs approved mileage rate of 45p per mile. This rate is reviewed every six months and increased from 56p on 1 January 2023 to recognise the increased cost of motoring.

Department of Health and Social Care: Hygiene

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of using (a) mixed taps and (b) hand-dryers on levels of personal hygiene; and whether he plans to take steps to install such devices in relevant facilities within his Departmental estate.

Will Quince: The Department has no plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of using (a) mixed taps and (b) hand-dryers on levels of personal hygiene. The Department already uses these devices on its estate.

Death: Vaccination

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department holds data on the vaccine status of people who died after 31 May 2022.

Maria Caulfield: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) does hold data on the vaccine status of people who died after 31 May 2022.UKHSA uses the data on the vaccination status of people who have died to produce monthly COVID-19 Vaccine Surveillance reports which can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccine-weekly-surveillance-reportsThis covers an extensive range of measures of vaccine effectiveness, including demonstrating effectiveness against infection, transmission, hospitalisation and mortality.

Liver Diseases

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department's workforce strategy will make an assessment of trends in the rates of (a) alcohol related liver disease and (b) non-alcohol related fatty liver disease.

Helen Whately: No assessments will be made in the Long Term Workforce Plan in regards to assessing the trends in rates of alcohol related liver disease and non-alcohol related fatty liver disease.The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities publishes liver disease hospital admission and mortality rates for England and all local authorities, updated annually, in the Liver Disease Profiles. The profiles and further details can be accessed at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/liver-disease

Diabetes and Heart Diseases

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has on prioritisation of (a) heart disease and (b) diabetes in this Parliament.

Helen Whately: The Government announced on 24 January that it will publish a Major Conditions Strategy. The Strategy will focus on conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England: cancers; cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes; chronic respiratory diseases; dementia; mental ill health; and musculoskeletal conditions.

Oesophageal Cancer

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to NICE Guidance NG83, what data his Department holds on the percentage of people diagnosed with metastatic oesophago-gastric adenocarcinomas who received molecular testing for HER2 status in each year between 2018 and 2022.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support diagnosis and treatment for rare, less common and less survivable cancers, including gastric cancer.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help improve access to precision oncology for people with gastric and other less survivable cancers.

Helen Whately: Improving early diagnosis of cancer, including gastric cancers, is a priority, as reflected in the NHS Long Term Plan ambition. A Best Practice Timed Pathway for oesophago-gastric cancer has been produced and sets out how timely and effective care can be provided to patients presenting with oesophago-gastric cancer symptoms. The National Health Service is also implementing non-specific symptom pathways for patients who do not fit clearly into a single ‘urgent cancer’ referral pathway but who are at risk of being diagnosed with cancer.NHS England has commissioned a clinical audit into oesophago-gastric cancer. The clinical audit provides regular and timely evidence for cancer service providers to understand where patterns of care in England vary, including access to precision oncology.The National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service in NHS England collects data on cancer patients but not in the format requested.

Hospices: Finance

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing further financial support for hospices, in the context of (a) the cost-of-living crisis and (b) rising energy bills.

Helen Whately: At a national level, NHS England have released £1.5 billion additional funding to integrated care boards (ICBs) to provide support for inflation, with ICBs deciding how best to distribute this funding within their system, including to palliative and end of life care providers such as hospices. This is in addition to the support provided by the Government through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme and the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme, which will run from April 2023 until March 2024 and continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including hospices.

Automated External Defibrillators Fund

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for the completion of the procurement process for the Automated External Defibrillator Fund; when he plans to publish further details on the criteria of that fund; and when he plans to open the scheme for applications.

Helen Whately: The Department is currently in the pre-procurement stage in its process of determining a selected partner for the Automated External Defibrillator Fund. The criteria for assessing whether proposed recipients are eligible to access the Automated External Defibrillators Fund will be part of the procurement process.A typical procurement that is compliant with the regulations can take anywhere from three to six months depending on the procurement route chosen.The Department will publish in due course a notice informing interested organisations of the upcoming opportunity and invite them to bid for the grant through GOV.UK.

Essential Tremor: Magnetic Resonance Imagers

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 24 November 2022 to Question 92245 on Essential Tremor: Liverpool, if his Department will take steps to (a) increase the number of eligible patients receiving MR-Guided Focussed Ultrasound for Essential Tremor and (b) support centres in providing this treatment.

Helen Whately: The Department does not intend to revise guidance which sets out the eligibility for Transcranial magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy for Essential Tremor. Current eligibility is set out in guidance produced by NHS England.Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London and The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool provide this treatment in England and can meet the patient demand associated with this treatment. There are no current plans to expand the number of providers offering this treatment.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Major Diseases Strategy will include policies on sexual and reproductive health.

Helen Whately: The Strategy will focus on conditions that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England: cancers; cardiovascular disease, including stroke and diabetes; chronic respiratory diseases; dementia; mental ill health; and musculoskeletal conditions.Focusing on the conditions that contribute most to mortality and morbidity will allow us to focus our efforts on the key actions needed to achieve our manifesto commitment of gaining five extra years of Healthy Life Expectancy by 2035.

Radiotherapy

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure there is no regional variation in access to radiotherapy.

Helen Whately: NHS England is responsible for setting evidence-based national service standards for radiotherapy and for ensuring that these, as well as any applicable Technology Appraisal Guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, are implemented within local systems. These arrangements will be further strengthened by the establishment of nine specialised commissioning joint statutory committees, which will bring regional specialised commissioning expertise and integrated care systems together.

Income Support

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the minimum income guarantee rate.

Helen Whately: The minimum income guarantee (MIG) rates are reviewed annually, with a review of the rates for the next financial year currently ongoing. Following the last review, the MIG was increased in line with inflation from 6 April 2022. The rates for 2023/2024 will be published in a Local Authority Circular.

Cancer: Radiotherapy

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of cancer patients received radiotherapy cancer treatments in Loughborough in the latest period for which data is available.

Helen Whately: This data is not held centrally in the format requested.

Department of Health and Social Care: Expenditure

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to his Department’s publication of spending over £25,000 for November 2022, what the nature was of the (a) engagement activity and (b) creative work for which M and C Saatchi UK Ltd was paid £60,000 on 11 November 2022 under the heading Adult Mental Health Partnership engagements and creatives 20.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what adult mental health partnership agreements have been secured for his Department by M and C Saatchi UK Ltd. since the start of financial year 2022-23.

Maria Caulfield: The Better Health – Every Mind Matters programme supports adults to take positive actions to support their own mental health. In addition to paid advertising, the programme relies heavily on engagement with a wide range of partner organisations who promote the campaign to their customers, staff and communities through channels and activities that cannot be bought through usual media buying processes.The expenditure with M and C Saatchi UK Ltd supported a programme of engaging and negotiating support from businesses as diverse as banks, gyms, the building trade and driving schools, and the creation of a toolkit of campaign resources that all commercial, public sector and NGO partners can use, which includes creative assets such as social media posts, posters, newsletters etc.For example, organisations might include content about, and signpost to, the Every Mind Matters programme in newsletters to customers, internal staff communications, promotion through their social media accounts, and face to face events. The combined reach of partners who provided supporting voices around Mental Health Awareness Week, May 2022 and World Mental Health Day, October 2022 was over 2.9 million.

Drugs: Manufacturing Industries

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of (a) the competitiveness of the UK pharmaceutical industry for (i) conducting clinical trials and (ii) research and development and (b) the impact of the level of use of innovative medicines in the NHS on outcomes for patients.

Will Quince: The life sciences sector is among the most valuable and strategically important in the United Kingdom’s economy. The latest edition of the Government’s Life Sciences Competitiveness Indicators shows that in 2020, the UK ranked sixth out of 10 comparator countries for our share of patients recruited to a subset of commercial global studies for novel medicines. The UK also ranked seventh for the time taken between clinical trial application and first dose to first patient. This is up from tenth in 2019.The indicators also show that, in 2020, the UK pharmaceutical industry spent over £5 billion on research and development (R&D) and has consistently been the largest industry to spend on R&D in the UK, making up more than a fifth of all R&D performed by industry between 2014 and 2020.The National Health Service in England is internationally competitive in adopting innovative medicines. Industry data shows that there are five treatments available in England for every four in Europe and almost a third more cancer drugs.

Mental Health Services: Barnsley Central

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the waiting times for CAMHS in the Barnsley Central constituency.

Maria Caulfield: It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population. We are supporting them to expand mental health services through the NHS Long Term Plan, which commits to increasing investment into mental health services by at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 so that an additional 345,000 children and young people are able to access National Health Service funded mental health support, including in the Barnsley Central constituency. We aim to increase the mental health workforce by an additional 27,000 healthcare professionals by 2023/24 to support the expansion and transformation of services. We also provided an additional £79 million for 2021/22 to allow around 22,500 more children and young people to access community health services. Assessments for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may also happen through child and adolescent mental health services. Building on last year’s investment of £13 million (through the NHS Long Term Plan and COVID-19 Mental Health Recovery Plan), we will invest £2.5 million in 2022/23 to test and embed improved autism diagnostic pathways. NHS England are developing a national framework to set out the process of how children, young people and adults should receive an autism diagnosis. The aim of this work is to improve the quality of these diagnostic processes and reduce waiting times. ICBs and NHS trusts should have due regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE’s) guideline ‘Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management’. The guideline aims to improve the diagnosis of ADHD and to improve the quality of care and support for people of all ages who are diagnosed with ADHD.

Health Services: Standards

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how his Department monitors adherence to NICE guidelines by health and social care professionals.

Will Quince: The Department does not monitor adherence to the National Institute for Care and Excellence (NICE) guidelines by health and care professionals. NICE guidelines represent best practice, but they are not mandatory; it is the responsibility of the clinician, in consultation with their patient and their families, to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual whilst taking into consideration NICE guidelines.

Sepsis: Medical Treatments

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of NICE guidelines for the treatment of sepsis.

Will Quince: The Department has no plans to assess the adequacy of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for the treatment of sepsis. NICE is an independent body, and its guidelines are based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and developed by experts through consultation with stakeholders in line with NICE’s internationally respected processes.NICE has processes in place to review its guidance to ensure that it reflects developments in the evidence base. NICE is currently updating its guideline on ‘Suspected sepsis: recognition, diagnosis and early management’. Details of the update can be found using the following link:Project information | Suspected Sepsis: recognition, diagnosis and early management (update) | Guidance | NICE

NHS: Complaints

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure an effective complaints process for families of patients in the NHS.

Maria Caulfield: The Government is working with stakeholders to improve the way the National Health Service listens to and responds to complaints, including through the NHS Complaint Standards. The NHS Complaint Standards were developed by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in collaboration with stakeholders and provide guidance to the NHS on a model complaint handling service, which includes a particularly focus on early resolution and on learning from complaints.

Mental Health Services: Per Capita Costs

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding per head is spent on mental health services in the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System; and how that figure compares to the national average.

Maria Caulfield: NHS England has advised that, while information on local mental health funding per head is calculated by it through data supplied by integrated care boards, this is not centrally validated nor published.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department allocated for a communications campaign to promote the seasonal booster programme for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Maria Caulfield: The 2022/23 campaign to promote uptake of seasonal flu and COVID-19 booster vaccinations had a media spend of £3.02 million. This was an integrated winter vaccinations campaign and so it is not possible to split out the spend by vaccine.

Diseases: Health Services

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the Major Health Conditions Strategy will take into account the (a) views and (b) specific needs of children and young people who responded to the Mental Health and Wellbeing Plan.

Maria Caulfield: We received over 5,000 submissions to our mental health and wellbeing call for evidence, and we appreciate the engagement work many stakeholders carried out with children, young people and adults with lived experience, and more broadly, to inform their responses to the call for evidence. We have analysed these responses, and we will consider them as part of the process for developing the Major Conditions Strategy.

Maternity Services

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NHS maternity care services; and what steps he is taking to improve the outcomes of that care.

Maria Caulfield: The Department closely monitors the published Care Quality Commission ratings of Maternity Services in England.To help achieve its ambition to reduce pre-term births and halve the 2010 rate of stillbirths, maternal and neonatal deaths, and brain injuries occurring during or soon after birth by 2025, the Government has introduced and funded initiatives such as the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, Maternal Medicine Networks, and Maternal Mental Health Hubs. The Maternity Transformation Programme will also implement its vision for safer and more personalised care across England.The Government recognises that appropriate staffing levels are a prerequisite for safe care. Significant investment has been made into maternity and neonatal services, with £127 million announced in 2022 to go into the maternity system to help increase the National Health Service maternity workforce and improve neonatal care across England.The Department is also reviewing the recommendations made within the Ockenden and East Kent Reports alongside its existing work to improve maternity outcomes. NHS England are mapping a coherent national delivery plan for maternity, delivered through the Maternity Transformation Programme.

Suicide: Males

Nick Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group will be specifically focussing on male suicide in their forthcoming meetings.

Maria Caulfield: Agendas for future National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group meetings are yet to be confirmed. However, the Department will be working closely with the Advisory Group and wider stakeholders over the coming months as the new National Suicide Prevention Strategy is developed. This will include discussions on issues relating to high-risk groups, such as men.

Infectious Diseases: Disease Control

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the next Pandemic Preparedness Strategy.

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to prepare for a future pandemic.

Matt Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to prepare to increase NHS capacity in the event of another pandemic.

Maria Caulfield: The United Kingdom has flexible and well-tested pandemic response capabilities. Learning the lessons from COVID-19, we are working with the Centre for Pandemic Preparedness in the UK Health Security Agency to ensure a flexible and capabilities-based approach to pandemic preparedness which will see emergency planners develop and maintain a generic suite of response capabilities across Government. This will enable an approach that can be flexibly deployed to meet the demands of any future pandemic and provide a whole-system response.We cannot perfectly predict the characteristics of a new pandemic pathogen and therefore our strategic approach to pandemic preparedness constantly evolves in response to new scientific information, lessons learned from prior pandemics, responses to other infectious disease outbreaks and rigorous exercises to test our response mechanisms.The Department is making sure that the National Health Service is prepared for future health emergencies. That is why, as announced in the 2022 Autumn Statement, the Government is investing an additional £3.3 billion in each of the next two years to enable rapid action to improve urgent and emergency, elective, and primary care performance to pre-pandemic levels.

NHS: Pay

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor on increasing the level of pay for NHS staff in 2022-23.

Will Quince: My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues relating to the health and social care sectors, including pay levels for National Health Service staff.

Hospices: Energy

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with Hospice UK on the impact of the cost of energy on the hospice sector.

Helen Whately: There is regular engagement with Hospice UK and other palliative and end of life care stakeholders at both ministerial and official level to understand the issues they face, such as the impact of the cost of energy on the hospice sector.

General Practitioners: Labour Turnover and Recruitment

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the recruitment and retention of GPs in (a) Ealing Central and Acton constituency and (b) London.

Neil O'Brien: We are working with NHS England and Health Education England to increase the general practice workforce in England. This includes measures to boost recruitment, address the reasons why doctors choose to leave, and encourage them to return to practice in GPs across England, including in both the Ealing Central and Acton constituency and London.The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.To boost recruitment, we have increased the number of GP training places. Last year, we saw the highest ever number of doctors accepting a place on GP training: a record 4,032 trainees, up from 2,671 in 2014.

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Freedom of Information

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2023 to Question 131311 and the Answer of 3 February 2023 to Question 136734 on Department for Work and Pensions: Freedom of Information, if he will make an assessment of the compatibility of his Department's freedom of information process with (a) his Department's Publication Scheme and (b) the Cabinet Office Freedom of Information Code of Practice; and if he will make a statement.

Mims Davies: The Department has an established programme of publication and publishes a large amount of data per year. The department currently releases around 40 Official and National statistics series each year, as well as collaborating to support a number of cross-government publications. The Department complies with the overall intent of FOI Act and the Cabinet Office Code of Practice and keeps under consideration its approach to process and publication of information. As mentioned in response to Question 131311, many Freedom of Information responses are automatically put in the public domain by the WhatDoTheyKnow website making them freely available to everyone.

Jobcentres

Alison McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) temporary and (b) permanent job centres there are at the (i) national (ii) regional and (iii) district level.

Mims Davies: (a) 194 Temporary Jobcentre REEP (Rapid Estate Expansion Programme), 14 REEP sites are co-sited with permanent (established) Jobcentres. (b) 639 Permanent (established) Jobcentres  Temporary Jobcentres: Regional level Region#Central & West Scotland4East & North Scotland7London & Essex41North & East Midlands20North Central19North East12North West20South East31South West15Wales6West Midlands19Grand Total194  Temporary Jobcentres: District level District #Avon, Somerset & Gloucestershire4Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire6Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire7Birmingham & Solihull5Black Country6Cheshire3Cumbria & Lancashire5Devon & Cornwall5Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire & Isle of Wight6Durham & Tees Valley4East Anglia5East London11East Scotland3Essex5Greater Manchester11Kent8Leicestershire & Northampton4Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire & Rutland3Mercia8Merseyside6Midland Shires8North & Mid Wales3North East Scotland3North East Yorkshire & Humber3North London6Northern Scotland1Northumberland, Tyne & Wear5South East Wales2South London12South West Scotland2South West Wales1South Yorkshire4Surrey & Sussex10West London7West Scotland2West Yorkshire10Grand Total194 Permanent (established) Jobcentres Region#Central & West Scotland40East & North Scotland44London & Essex63North & East Midlands87North Central54North East59North West54South East61South West74Wales60West Midlands43Grand Total639 District#Avon, Somerset & Gloucestershire23Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire13Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire14Birmingham & Solihull13Black Country14Central Scotland7Cheshire9Cumbria & Lancashire22Devon & Cornwall22Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire & Isle of Wight29Durham & Tees Valley21East Anglia26East London10East Scotland22Essex14Greater Manchester28Kent13Leicestershire & Northampton14Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire & Rutland19Mercia16Merseyside17Midland Shires28North & Mid Wales21North East Scotland10North East Yorkshire & Humber18North London11Northern Scotland12Northumberland, Tyne & Wear20South East Wales17South London14South West Scotland11South West Wales22South Yorkshire13Surrey & Sussex21West London14West Scotland22West Yorkshire19Grand Total639

Childcare: Flexible Support Fund

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much money from the Flexible Support Fund has been used to assist job seekers with the cost of childcare in the past 12 months.

Guy Opperman: The information is not available for the period requested.

Transport: Flexible Support Fund

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much money from the Flexible Support Fund has been used to assist job seekers with the cost of transport in the past 12 months.

Guy Opperman: The information is not available for the period requested.

South Tyneside Council: Finance

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much grant money was returned to his Department by South Tyneside Council in the period between 1 January 2022 and 30 November 2022.

Guy Opperman: The department can confirm that no grants by South Tyneside Council were returned to DWP between 1st January 2022 and 30th November 2022.

Childcare: Flexible Support Fund

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many individuals were awarded payments for childcare from the Flexible Support Fund in the past 12 months.

Mims Davies: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Work Capability Assessment

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were waiting for a work capability reassessment as of 6 February 2023.

Tom Pursglove: For the purposes of this response, we have interpreted your question as asking for the number of outstanding Work Capability Assessments for both Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit, that are reassessment cases, as opposed to new claims. As of 6 February 2023, 28,000 are currently with the assessment provider awaiting action.

Home Office

HM Passport Office: Offices

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on office occupancy rates for the Passport Office.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office maintains regular data monitoring of its estates usage, with data collected from a range of sources to help develop the Home Office estates strategy and ensure effective use of the Home Office estate.While His Majesty’s Passport Office is included within this data collection, disaggregated information relating to HM Passport Office alone is not currently held in a reportable format. This is due to the way data is currently collected where office space is shared with other directorates of the Home Office, alongside the current transition to new passport office sites. Work to refine this data will be completed in due course

Asylum: Children

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to tackle trends in the level of migrant children who go missing after their arrival in the UK.

Robert Jenrick: The wellbeing of children and minors in our care is an absolute priority.Robust safeguarding and welfare procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported.All asylum seekers, including children, have an interview on arrival in the UK which includes a series of questions designed to understand whether there are any potential indicators of trafficking and, if so, tailored plans are put in place to address any vulnerabilities.Records are kept and monitored of children leaving and returning to interim hotels. Support workers will accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified. However, the Home Office has no power to hold children in hotels or any temporary accommodation if they wish to leave. All sites have security staff to ensure the safety and welfare of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. When a young person goes missing the ‘missing persons protocol’ is followed and led by our directly engaged social workers. A multi-agency missing persons protocol is mobilised alongside the police, who have the statutory responsibility for finding missing children, and local authorities to establish their whereabouts and to ensure that they are safe.

Asylum: Hotels

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department provides compensation for financial losses incurred by people who have (a) weddings and (b) other bookings cancelled as a result of her Department's contracts with hotels to accommodate asylum seekers (i) generally and (ii) when standard wedding insurance does not cover the loss. .

Robert Jenrick: Successive years in which record numbers of people have crossed the Channel in small boats has placed our asylum infrastructure under immense strain. In order to meet our statutory obligations to accommodate asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, we have been forced to temporarily house asylum seekers in hotels. The use of hotels is a short term solution and we are working hard with Local Authorities and our accommodation providers to find more appropriate accommodation.Hotel owners are under no obligation to enter into a contract with our providers. However, they recognise a commercial benefit from this arrangement. The decision to cancel any pre booked reservations is the responsibility of the hotel and not the Home Office.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has sought legal advice on the compatibility of making it illegal for people who claim asylum in Britain after arrival by a small boat, with the UK being party to the 1951 Convention on Refugees.

Robert Jenrick: As my Rt Hon friend the Prime Minister set out in his oral statement on 13 December 2023 (Official Report, column 885-888), the Government will bring forward legislation to make it unambiguously clear that, if you enter the UK illegally, you should not be able to remain here. Instead, you will be detained and promptly returned either to your home country or to a safe country where your asylum claim will be considered.In the normal way, in preparing the legislation we are seeking legal advice on a variety of issues.

Hillsborough Families' Experiences Review

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire to the Urgent Question of 1 February 2023, Official Report, column 346, whether bereaved families were informed of her Department's decision to establish the pathology review before this was announced on 5 October 2022.

Chris Philp: Bishop James Jones’s report on the experiences of the Hillsborough families was produced following his discussions with the bereaved families. Point of learning 15 in the Bishop’s report recommended that there should be a review to consider the potential for learning from the failings of the pathology evidence to the original Hillsborough inquests. The Home Office accepted that point of learning in full and established an independent pathology review last year.The review is led by forensic science expert Mr Glenn Taylor, who has met with former representatives of Hillsborough family groups to seek their views and address any concerns they may have about the scope of the review. Further engagement on the pathology review is also scheduled to take place with the Hillsborough families in the coming weeks. The Home Office has apologised for the families not being informed of the review prior to it being announced.

Asylum: Detainees

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) victims of (i) trafficking and (ii) torture and (b) people with other special reception needs were detained by each special reception need in 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes information on the number of individuals who claim to be victims of torture, or who have other medical concerns, quarterly as part of transparency data. The latest figures can be found on gov.uk at Immigration Enforcement data: Q3 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)The Home Office does not publish statistics on the number of detained individuals that have been found to be victims of torture or modern slavery; and this could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Detainees

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applicants were detained by the UK (a) in 2022 and (b) as of 31 December 2022, (i) in total and (ii) broken down by grounds for detention.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average duration of detention was for detained (a) migrants and (b) asylum applicants in 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes data on people in detention on the last day of each quarter in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’, as well as data on people entering and leaving detention during each quarter. The latest data relate to the end of September 2022.Data on asylum-related detentions are published in table Det_01 of the ‘Detention summary tables’ and are broken down by the year of people entering and leaving and by the number of people in detention at the end of the period.The publishes statistics do not include information on grounds for detention.Data on how long people were detained for when leaving detention are published in table Det_D03 of the ‘Detention detailed tables’ and are broken down by year and length of detention group. The published data are not broken down by asylum/non-asylum.Figures on detention at the end of December 2022 will be published on 23 February 2023.

Biometric Residence Permits: Applications

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the earliest date on which an application for a Biometric Residence Permit which has not yet been approved was made.

Robert Jenrick: Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) are issued to customers as part of the visa application process. The information on how many residence permits currently being processed is not available in the format requested and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.The waiting times for BRP’s are dictated by the BRP production and delivery processes. We aim to deliver a BRP within 7 working days of the immigration decision being made.

Biometric Residence Permits: Applications

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she first become aware of the IT issue reported in 2023 which led to delays to Biometric Residence Permit applications.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Biometric Residence Permit applications were delayed due to the IT issue reported in January 2023.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office is aware of a previous question related to an IT issue involving the enrolment of a biometric residence permit (BRP) for an individual who lodged a further submission claim (117811).The error was linked to the repeated capture of biometric information earlier in the process, but corrective action has now been taken.As part of transforming the asylum system, we are focused on streamlining, simplifying, and digitalising processes to ensure system issues do not occur in the future.

Biometric Residence Permits: Applications

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the cause of the IT issue reported in 2023 which led to delays to Biometric Residence Permit applications.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office is aware of a previous question related to an IT issue involving the enrolment of a biometric residence permit (BRP) for an individual who lodged a further submission claim (117811).The error was linked to the repeated capture of biometric information earlier in the process, but corrective action has now been taken.As part of transforming the asylum system, we are focused on streamlining, simplifying, and digitalising processes to ensure system issues do not occur in the future.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to grant UK entry clearance to people who have passed initial security and identity checks as part of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme pathway 3 and to allow them to complete biometrics from within the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: There are no plans to allow those referred under Pathway 3 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) to submit biometrics in the UK after they have cleared their initial security checks.The government has put in place a robust process, including security checks and capturing of biometrics, to ensure the safe relocation of Afghans to the UK while maintaining an effective border.We are pleased that, for many, initial security checks have now been completed, which allows us to notify them of the outcome and provide advice on next steps, including on travel to a Visa Application Centre (VAC).The first of those eligible have now arrived in third countries, where they are offered accommodation and support – paid for by the UK Government through our development budget – whilst they continue to be processed for resettlement and undergo biometric visa checks.

Visas: British National (Overseas)

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications have been made for British National (Overseas) visas by people aged between 18 and 25 in the period since that scheme was extended in November 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office does not hold published data on the number of applications that have been made to the British National (Overseas) route by18–25-year-olds since the route was expanded on 30 November 2022.The Home Office releases data on the BN(O) route as part of the quarterly migration statistics.

Immigration: Fees and Charges

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people aged under 25 making an application for limited leave to remain under the private life route were granted a fee waiver in (a) 2021 and (b) 2022.

Robert Jenrick: We do not capture data in a form that can link the age of a fee waiver applicant with their subsequent leave to remain application.Providing the data would entail the manual scrutiny of each case within the scope of the question, incurring disproportionate cost.Published data on fee waiver applications can be viewed here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-and-protection-data-q3-2022Refer to tab FW_01

Asylum: Children

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Immigration to the urgent question on Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children on 24 January 2023, Official Report, column 877, when her Department began its consideration of who has corporate legal responsibility for children living in bridging hotels; and when she plans to make a decision on this point.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has always taken the view that these children should be in local authority care.The Home Office does not have, and therefore cannot discharge, duties under Part 3 of the Children Act 1989. It is for the local authority where an unaccompanied child is located to consider its duties under the Children’s Act 1989.

Nitrous Oxide: Sales

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to ban the sale of nitrous oxide canisters.

Chris Philp: On 3 September 2021, the Government asked the independent statutory advisory body, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), to provide an updated assessment of the harms of nitrous oxide, including advice on whether it should be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.The ACMD is independent of Government and can provide a broad range of recommendations, including advice on regulatory or legislative changes. The Government will consider the ACMD advice carefully before deciding how to proceed.

Metropolitan Police: Stop and Search

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Metropolitan Police Officers are working whilst under investigation for (a) misconduct, (b) gross misconduct and (c) discrimination in stop and search cases as of 1 February 2023.

Chris Philp: The Home Office does not hold this information The Home Office collects and publishes data on public complaints and conduct matters, including whether the allegation was referred to misconduct proceedings. Data is published on an annual basis and the latest publication covered cases finalised in the year ending 31 March 2022. These data are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/user-guide-to-police-misconduct-statistics These data includes cases which have been finalised and does not include ongoing cases. Furthermore, the Home Office does not collect information on whether officers under investigation are working or suspended.

Knives: Crime Prevention

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to deter knife crime among young people.

Chris Philp: Tackling knife crime amongst young people is a top government priority and we are working tirelessly to keep young people, families, and communities safe. At the Home Office we are redoubling our efforts with a twin-track approach, combining tough enforcement to get dangerous weapons off the streets – including through stop and search methods – with programmes that steer young people away from crime.This financial year we have invested £64m in our network of Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) which bring together local partners to tackle the drivers of violence in their area. VRUs are delivering a range of early intervention and prevention programmes to divert people away from a life of crime. They have reached over 215,000 vulnerable young people in their third year of funding alone.Our £30m ‘Grip’ programme operates in these same 20 areas as VRUs and is helping to drive down violence by using a highly data-driven process to identify violence hotspots – often to individual street level – and target operational activity in those areas. In their first three years of funded delivery, these programmes have collectively prevented an estimated 136,000 violence without injury offences.In addition, the Serious Violence Duty which commenced on 31st January requires a range of public bodies to work together to prevent and reduce serious violence in their local area. Of course, the Home Office is not able to tackle violence alone, and we work closely with a range of government departments to build protective factors against violence.For instance, we work with the Department for Education as we know that education is a powerful protective factor against violence for young people. The Government is investing over £45 million to fund specialist support in both mainstream and Alternative Provision (AP) schools in the areas where serious violence is most damaging to local communities.Additionally, we are also delivering the £3.3 million Creating Opportunities Forum with the Department for Work and Pensions to provide meaningful employment-related opportunities and raise the aspirations of young people at risk of serious violence.The Government remains wholly committed to preventing youth violence and keeping young people safe from harm.

Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre: Legal Profession

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many legal visits took place under the Detained Duty Advice Scheme at Derwentside immigration removal centre between (a) 1 July 2022 and 30 September 2022, (b) 1 October 2022 and 31 December 2022 and (c) 1 January 2023 and 31 January 2023; and how many of those visits took place (i) in person, (ii) by Skype and (iii) by telephone for each of those periods.

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-Detained Duty Advice Scheme legal visits took place at Derwentside immigration removal centre between (a) 1 July 2022 and 30 September 2022, (b) 1 October 2022 and 31 December 2022 and (c) 1 January 2023 and 31 January 2023; and how many of those visits took place (i) in person, (ii) by Skype and (iii) by telephone for each of these periods.

Kate Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women were detained at Derwentside immigration removal centre between (a) 1 July 2022 and 30 September 2022, (b) 1 October 2022 and 31 December 2022 and (c) 1 January 2023 and 31 January 2023.

Robert Jenrick: The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) operates free legal advice surgeries in immigration removal centres (IRCs) in England under the Detained Duty Advice Scheme (DDAS). Individuals who are detained are entitled to receive up to 30 minutes of advice regardless of financial eligibility or the merits of their case. There is no restriction on the number of surgeries an individual may attend. If an individual who is detained requires substantive advice on a matter which is in scope of legal aid, full legal advice can be provided if the statutory legal aid means and merits criteria are met. Individuals detained in IRCs can also access privately commissioned legal advice, including legally aided advice provided through means other than the DDAS. Access to legal advice across the immigration removal estate is facilitated through remote means (by telephone and video conferencing) as well as in-person visits on request. All people in IRCs are provided with a mobile phone and have access to landline telephones on request, fax machines, email and video calling facilities which can be used to contact legal representatives, family, or friends. The total number of DDAS and non-DDAS legal visits held at Derwentside IRC, including the means by which they were facilitated, from 1 July 2022 to 31 January 2023 is set out in the table below.   Date  1 July 2022 – 30 September 20221 October 2022 – 31 December 20221 January 2023 – 31 January 2023DDAS AppointmentsTotal936531In-person715731Skype2070Telephone210Non-DDAS AppointmentsTotal36560In-person18280Skype18280Telephone000 The Home Office publishes data on people in detention on the last day of each quarter in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’, as well as data on people entering detention during each quarter. The latest data relate to the end of September 2022. Data on people in detention are published in table Det_D02 of the ‘Detention detailed tables’ and data on people entering detention are published in table Det_D01. The data can be broken down by current place/first place of detention of detention (including Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre), and sex. Figures relating to people in detention at the end of December 2022 will be published on 23 February 2023.

Asylum: Hove

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to recent reports of the abduction of unaccompanied children from a Home Office residence in Hove, what estimate her Department has made of the number of unaccompanied children who are (a) missing and (b) unaccounted for.

Robert Jenrick: The rise in the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) crossing the channel in small boats means there are significant challenges on providing Local Authority care places for UASC. Out of necessity and with the best interests of the child in mind, we have had no alternative but to temporarily use hotels to give some unaccompanied children a roof over their heads whilst local authority accommodation is found. Robust safeguarding, welfare and security procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported in interim hotels as we seek urgent placements with a Local Authority. Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Records are kept and monitored of children leaving and returning to the hotel. Support workers will accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified.  The Home Office has no power to hold children in hotels or any temporary accommodation if they wish to leave. As of 26 January 2023, there were 199 missing UASC from Home Office operated hotels, of which 76 were missing from Home Office operated hotels in Brighton and Hove. When any young person goes missing the ‘missing persons protocol’ is followed and led by our directly engaged social workers. A multi-agency, missing persons protocol is mobilised alongside the police and local authorities, to establish their whereabouts and to ensure that they are safe

Crime: Huddersfield

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with West Yorkshire Police on knife crime in Huddersfield constituency in the last 12 months.

Chris Philp: Ministers regularly engage with policing leaders across the country on these issues, including colleagues in the West Yorkshire Police. On 16 June, 2022, the former Home Secretary met West Yorkshire Police in Leeds to discuss operational matters across the region, including knife crime.The Government is determined to drive down serious violence by combining tough enforcement action with support for those most at risk. This includes direct funding and activity in West Yorkshire. Since 2019, the West Yorkshire VRU has received c.£16m for violence reduction activity, including £5.9m in this financial year. The VRU was also successful in bidding for an additional £450k to work alongside the police to deliver targeted youth work to high-risk young people at the point of arrest.We have also invested over £10m in West Yorkshire through our serious violence police enforcement programmes (including a £1.6m investment through our ‘Grip’ programme this financial year). Grip uses a highly data-driven process to deliver and track additional visible patrols in the streets and neighbourhoods most affected by these devastating crimes.In 2019, the Home Office established the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) with a 10-year endowment of £200m to build an evidence base around what works in preventing youth violence and make this accessible to practitioners. To date, the YEF has granted around £1.2m in funding across 11 intervention projects in West Yorkshire.

Police: Finance

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make a comparative assessment of the potential merits of providing (a) single-year and (b) multi-year financial settlements for police forces.

Chris Philp: Spending Review 2021 provided certainty on budgets for all forces across England and Wales, with total funding increases confirmed for 3 years. In June 2022, the government also provided additional funding of £350m over 3 years to support forces in meeting the costs of the 2022 pay award. This has enabled forces to plan ahead and ensure they are delivering efficiency savings to generate the best value for money for the tax payer.On 31 January, the Government confirmed a total police funding settlement of up to £17.2 billion in 2023/24, an increase of up to £287 million when compared to 2022/23. This settlement honours the commitments made at Spending Review 2021, giving forces the certainty to plan, complete and maintain their work to recruit additional officers through the Police Uplift Programme.

Refugees: Children

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with local authorities on the risk of child refugees (a) disappearing and (b) being kidnapped from hotels run by her Department.

Robert Jenrick: The wellbeing, welfare and security of children and minors in our care is an absolute priority. Robust safeguarding procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with local authorities.Officials hold regular meetings with local authorities to arrange the placement of young people via the National Transfer Scheme, to consider strategic improvements to the processes and procedures and in response to the concern around young people going missing from hotels.We continue to consult multi-agency partners and subject matter experts to ensure our processes and procedures are robust and evolve as new trends or risks emerge. Local police forces are engaged in ongoing activity where a child fails to return to a hotel and this data is shared across the police national computer as it would be in any case where a child goes missing

Police: Government Departments

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help improve Government relations with police forces.

Chris Philp: The Government welcomes open and honest engagement with policing partners and Ministers meet regularly with senior policing leaders and staff associations on a range of matters.We are continuing to invest in policing and are recruiting 20,000 additional officers to ensure policing has the resources it needs to fight crime. By March 2023, we will have the highest number of officers on record.

Asylum: Correspondence

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many notice of intent letters have been sent to applicants for humanitarian protection in the last six months.

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of applications for humanitarian protection have been declared inadmissible in the last six months.

Robert Jenrick: The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of individuals being managed under inadmissibility rules and can be found online at How many people do we grant protection to? - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)As set out in the Immigration Rules, claims for humanitarian protection are treated firstly as applications for asylum and published figures do not therefore distinguish applications made specifically for humanitarian protection. Such information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Metropolitan Police: Stop and Search

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the announcement by the Independent Office for Police Conduct in April 2022 that the officers involved in the stop and search of Bianca Williams and Ricardo de Santos in July 2020 will face disciplinary proceedings for gross misconduct, when those proceedings will begin.

Chris Philp: The Home Office does not hold this information.   For the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), once an officer has been referred to a misconduct hearing, it is the responsibility of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) to appoint an independent legally qualified chair (LQC).   Management of misconduct hearings, once established, is then the responsibility of the LQC. Hearings must commence within 100 days of the officer being referred, unless the LQC determines that it is necessary to extend this period in the interests of justice.

Immigration: Cost of Living

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support people with no recourse to public funds, in the context of the cost-of-living crisis.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including those with no recourse to public funds in cost-of-living support schemes.

Robert Jenrick: Successive governments have taken the view that access to benefits and other publicly funded services should reflect the strength of a migrant’s connections to the UK and, in the main, only become available to migrants when they have become settled here with indefinite leave to remain (ILR). The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable people and has ensured support has been available to those with NRPF when it has been appropriate to do so, including as part of cost-of-living support schemes. In recognition of the growing cost of living pressures, the £11.7 billion Energy Bills Support Scheme forms part of the £37 billion cost of living assistance package for consumers over the winter of 2022 to 2023 to support families with rising global energy prices. Those with NRPF will be eligible for some support within this scheme. To assist more families, those with NRPF can now access free school meals and free early years education for two-year-olds, subject to the relevant income thresholds. Those who have made the necessary national insurance contributions can also claim contributory benefits such as contribution-based Jobseekers Allowance, statutory sick pay, and state pension. Migrants with permission under the Family or Private Life routes, or outside the rules on the basis of their Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, or the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route can also apply for free to have their NRPF condition lifted by making a ‘change of conditions’ application. An individual can apply to have their NRPF condition lifted if they are destitute or at risk of imminent destitution, if there are reasons relating to the welfare of a relevant child, or where there are other exceptional financial circumstances.

Police Community Support Officers

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Community Police Community Support Officers have been in post in (a) Enfield, (b) London and (c) England in each year since 2010.

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding has been provided for Police Community Support Officers in (a) Enfield, (b) London and (c) England in each year since 2010; and what proportion of those Police Community Support Officers were funded by her Department either (i) partially or (ii) fully in each of those years.

Chris Philp: The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size of the police workforce in England and Wales, broken down by Police Force Area (PFA), on a bi-annual basis in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin.These data are collected by PFA only, and lower levels of geography, such as London Boroughs are not collected. Data on the number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in the Metropolitan Police Service and in England, as at 31 March each year, from 2007 to 2022 can be found in the ‘Workforce Open Data Table’. The latest mid-year figure, as at 30 September 2022, is also available in the data tables accompanying the latest ‘Police Workforce’ bulletin.On 31 January, the Government confirmed a total police funding settlement of up to £17.2 billion in 2023/24, an increase of up to £287 million when compared to 2022/23. Assuming full take up of precept flexibility, overall police funding available to PCCs will increase by up to £523 million (3.6% in cash terms) next year. Individual force funding for 2023/24 can be found in the accompanying tables to the Written Ministerial Statement published as part of the Police Funding Settlement.The Home Office does not hold specific information relating to the funding of Police Community Support Officers. Decisions on how to use funding and resources are an operational matter for Chief Constables. Police and Crime Commissioners are best placed to make resourcing decisions within their communities based on their local knowledge and experience.

Asylum: Albania

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum claims by Albanian nationals have been decided since 13 December 2022.

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many returns there have been since 13 December 2022 arising from unsuccessful asylum claims made by Albanian nationals.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes data on asylum and returns from the UK in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the outcomes of asylum applications at initial decision by nationality are published in table Asy_D02 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to Q3 2022.Outcomes of asylum applications at initial decision data up to the end of December 2022 will be published on 23 February 2023.The latest data on the top 10 nationalities for asylum-related returns (including Albanians) are available in table Ret_04 of the ‘Returns summary tables’. The latest data relate to the year ending June 2022.Returns data up to the end of December 2022 will be published on 25 May 2023.

Police: Vetting

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February to Question 136627 on Police: DNA, whether existing police offices as well as police candidates will be included in that stronger vetting.

Chris Philp: The Vetting Code of Practice sets out the standards of vetting which are to be applied to all police forces in England and Wales. This includes applicants to the police service as well as individuals employed by police forces, such as police officers, police staff and members of the Special Constabulary.Guidance stipulates that successful policing candidates should be informed that their fingerprints are retained on the Police Elimination Database (PEDb) until an individual leaves the police force. Their DNA profile will also be retained on the Centralised Elimination Database (CED) until 12 months after the date the individual leaves the police service.

Windrush Lessons Learned Review

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Recommendation 7 of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review by Wendy Williams, published on 19 July 2018, when her Department plans to publish findings from its (a) Right to Rent and (b) Compliant Environment policies reviews.

Robert Jenrick: On the 26 January a Written Ministerial Statement, providing an update on Home Office delivery of the recommendations set out in the Windrush Lessons Learned Review, was laid in Parliament. The Written Ministerial Statement can be found here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-01-26/hcws523. As part of the Department’s response to Recommendation 7, the following four documents will shortly be published on gov.uk:An Equality Impact Assessment of the Compliant Environment;An evaluation of the Right to Rent scheme;A review of internal data and a long-term plan for research on the impact of the Compliant Environment measures; and,A review of External Evidence of the Compliant Environment The Home Office will also ensure that copies of all four documents are placed in the libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

Hillsborough Families' Experiences Review

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral contribution by the Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire to the Urgent Question of 1 February 2023, Official Report, column 350, what the evidential basis is or the statement that families have been fully engaged.

Chris Philp: In October 2022 the Home Office announced an independent pathology review in response to point of learning 15 from Bishop James Jones’s report on the experiences of the Hillsborough families.The review is led by forensic science expert Mr Glenn Taylor, who has met with former representatives of Hillsborough family groups to seek their views and address any concerns they may have about the scope of the review. Further engagement on the pathology review is also scheduled to take place with the Hillsborough families in the coming weeks.The Government is also committed to engaging with the Hillsborough families on its overarching response to the Bishop’s report, prior to its publication in due course.

Asylum

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of how many asylum decisions have not been issued because the asylum seeker was resident in initial accommodation.

Robert Jenrick: This information is not regularly published and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs as it would require a manual trawl of individual cases to locate and retrieve it.

Asylum

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safe and legal routes are available for individuals to claim asylum in the UK for people who are not from (a) Ukraine, (b) Afghanistan and (c) Hong Kong.

Robert Jenrick: The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people who need it and the UK will continue to welcome refugees from across the world through existing safe and legal resettlement routes. These include the existing global UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettlement Scheme.

Psilocybin: Misuse

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2023 to Question 126511 on Psilocybin: Misuse, whether her Department has historic evidence to show that Psilocybin (a) causes harm or (b) has the potential to cause harm.

Chris Philp: As the then Crime and Policing Minister set out in his response to Question 7725, psilocybin, in common with a number of drugs which have been controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (the 1971 Act) for a considerable period of time have not been subject to analysis or recent analysis of harm.The Government has not commissioned or published any recent analysis of the harms of psilocybin. Psilocybin, as an “ester of psilocin”, is controlled as a Class A drug under the the 1971 Act and is placed in Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001. Psilocin is also subject to the United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971, to which the United Kingdom is signatory.

Crime Prevention: Rural Areas

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent (a) petty crimes and (b) anti-social behaviour in (i) rural and (ii) isolated communities.

Chris Philp: The Beating Crime Plan published on 27 July 2021 laid out the Government’s commitment to drive down levels of crime and anti-social behaviour.We are giving the police the resources they need by recruiting an additional 20,000 officers by March 2023. The deployment of all officers remains an operational decision for Chief Constables.The Government is committed to tackling all forms of anti-social behaviour (ASB) wherever it may be taking place. We provided the police, local authorities, and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can flexibly use to respond quickly and effectively to ASB through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Appropriate Adults: Standards

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department next plans to review the National Standards for the Development and Provision of Appropriate Adult Schemes in England and Wales.

Chris Philp: The Home Office part funds the National Association of Appropriate Adults (NAAN), which supports organisations providing appropriate adult services to young people and vulnerable adults in police custody. We regularly engage with the NAAN to discuss the provision of training to Appropriate Adults across England and Wales.The national standards are developed and published by NAAN. More information regarding standards and training can be found at https://www.appropriateadult.org.uk/. The standards are approved by the Youth Justice Board, Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners. They were developed in consultation with the Home Office.

Appropriate Adults: Statistics

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to collect data on the period of time between a child being detained in police custody and an Appropriate Adult being in attendance.

Chris Philp: Data on people, including children, detained in police custody were collected for the first time for the year ending March 2022. Information was also requested on the number of minutes taken for an Appropriate Adult (AA) to arrive.As this was the first year of data collection, information collected on the number of minutes for an AA to arrive was limited and of poor quality. As such, these data were not published as part of the ‘Police, Powers and Procedures: Other PACE, year ending March 2022’ publication.The police custody data published on GOV.UK are based on a subset of 26 out of 43 territorial police forces and are labelled as Experimental statistics due to data quality issues, therefore should be interpreted with cautionAn assessment will be made later on this year on the quality of the data received for the year ending March 2023 and whether it will be fit for publication.

Slavery

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy on re-writing modern slavery rules.

Miss Sarah Dines: Conversations have taken place at official level between the Home Office and the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) colleagues about the proposed commitment to strengthen Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, which relates to mandatory reporting on Modern Slavery in supply chains by businesses with an annual turnover of £36m or more.

Domestic Abuse: Older People

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding her Department has made available to prevent abuse of older people in each of the last 10 years.

Miss Sarah Dines: Tackling abuse is a key Government priority. There is ongoing work across government to tackle abuse of older people, including by the Department of Health and Social Care. The Home Office oversees specifically policy related to domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is deeply harmful, not only because of the profound effect it can have on victims, survivors and their loved ones, but also because of the harm it inflicts on wider society. This Government recognises that, although anyone can suffer from domestic abuse, for older victims, abuse may be more hidden and disguised or compounded by other age-related factors such as ill health. The Home Office has funded Hourglass, a specialist elder abuse charity, for a number of years to enhance their helpline, provide casework support, and train specialist Independent Domestic Violence Advisers. For financial years 2018/19 through to 2020/21 we provided Hourglass £50,000 per annum. An additional £106,000 was provided to further bolster their services as part of the response to the Covid-19 crisis, to ensure victims could continue to access support. In 2021-22, the Home Office provided Hourglass over £200,000 to support their work in enhancing their helpline, providing casework support, and training specialist IDVAs, with over 3000 victims being supported in 2021-22 alone. Again in 2022/23 we provided Hourglass £50,000.In 2021/22, Hourglass supported over 3,000 cases.In relation to future funding, the Domestic Abuse Plan commits to over £140 million for supporting victims of which £47 million will be ringfenced for community-based services to support victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence, including, but not limited to, older victims.

Members: Correspondence

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the email correspondence from the hon. Member for Glasgow East of (a) 18 November 2022, (b) 19 December 2022 and (c) 9 January 2023, reference DL13986.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office replied on 13 January 2023.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Counselling: Foreign Nationals

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department plans to take steps to provide special counselling services to young Hong Kongers who have recently moved to the UK and are struggling to adapt to their new environment.

Felicity Buchan: Those entering the United Kingdom via the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) [BN(O)] visa route have paid the Immigration Health Surcharge and can access NHS services, such as mental health support, free at the point of use, on broadly the same basis as a person who is ordinarily resident in the UK.DLUHC launched the Welcome Programme for BN(O)s in April 2021. It provides a UK-wide support package that comprises an easily accessible universal offer and targeted support for those most in need, including support for those with mental health issues.The Programme also funds VCSE organisations at a national and regional level to provide support for BN(O) visa holders, including those with mental health issues.

Environmental Health: Standards

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the impact of local authority environmental health teams on ensuring good environmental health conditions for local communities; and what steps he is taking to ensure the adequacy of funding for environmental health teams within local authorities.

Lee Rowley: Defra provides a large amount of funding and guidance through different routes to support local authorities.The Secretary of State for Levelling Up wrote to all local authorities on 19 November 2022, asking them to provide the Department with information on their assessment of damp and mould hazards in privately rented properties in their areas, and the action they are taking to remediate them.The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2023/24 makes available an additional £3 billion of taxpayer subsidy to councils in England, before local decisions about council tax changes are made. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced in recognition of councils being best placed to understand local priorities.”

Housing: Insulation

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to paragraph 12 of Section 149 of the Building Safety Act 2022, what guidance his Department issues on whether external wall insulation is classified as a component of cladding.

Lee Rowley: Guidance for the Building Safety Fund makes clear that insulation is part of a cladding system. This information serves as guidance to support the Fund and not as legislation.

Housing: Gardens

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure new build properties have adequate gardens that are suitable for all homeowners.

Rachel Maclean: The National Design Guide recognises the importance of external amenity spaces. In addition, the National Model Design Code, which guides the production of local design codes, highlights that access to external private space is important for people's wellbeing and that design codes may specify the size of back gardens relative to the size or expected occupancy of the home.

Planning Permission: Appeals

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what proportion of planning authority judicial review challenges to appeal decisions incur the award of costs against them.

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether it is the policy of the Planning Inspectorate Service to seek to discourage challenges by planning authorities against planning appeal decisions by the threat of incurring costs; and on how many occasions this occurred in the last ten years.

Rachel Maclean: Guidance on the award of costs in planning appeals is published here.The Planning Inspectorate uses that guidance to support its decisions on costs awards, which can apply to any main party in the appeal if they behave unreasonably.  Parties in planning appeals and other planning proceedings normally meet their own expenses, but the costs regime exists in legislation to discourage unreasonable behaviour during the appeals process.The Planning Inspectorate approaches all its decisions and recommendations openly, fairly and impartially, as expected of Tribunals.In judicial review proceedings and court challenges it is common practice for the winning party to seek to recover their costs from the losing party - whether they are successful in doing so is a matter for the Judge. The Inspectorate does not systematically collect store data on the number of times costs are incurred.

Bolton Council: Finance

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the annual budget for Bolton Council has been in every year since 2005.

Lee Rowley: Local authority revenue expenditure and financing information from 2007 to the present, including budget data for Bolton Council, is published here.

Buildings: Insulation

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to regulate the kinds of materials that may be used to wrap residential buildings during cladding remediation works.

Lee Rowley: Remediation is vital to make buildings safe but we recognise that remediation projects can cause significant disruption to residents and negatively affect their welfare, in particular the wrapping of buildings whilst unsafe cladding is removed and replaced.Fundamentally, building owners are responsible for making their buildings safe without delay, and decisions on the approach are down to them. As part of this they must ensure that works are taken forward efficiently in a way that minimises disruption to residents.To that end, we are reviewing what expectations should be placed on those responsible for remediating unsafe buildings. We plan to work with the sector to develop a Code of Practice, taking account of residents' needs, with the intention of it being introduced later this year.  I am keen to continue to work with colleagues where there are concerns on this issue.

Elections: Proof of Identity

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many people have applied for a Voter Authority Certificate since that form became available online.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will take steps to fund a public mail campaign to provide information to the public on the new election voter ID rules.

Lee Rowley: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 124038 on 19 January 2023.Information relevant to the applications for Voter Authority Certificates is available here.

Supported Housing

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Written Statement of 17 March 2022, HCWS696, on Housing Update, when the Government plans to bring forward legislation on regulation of supported exempt housing.

Felicity Buchan: As I noted on the floor of the House on 18 November 2022, the Government is supporting the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Bill which is currently progressing through Parliament.

Supported Housing: Housing Benefit

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the report by the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee on Exempt accommodation, HC21, published on 27 October 2022, when he plans to respond to that report.

Felicity Buchan: The Government welcomes the publication of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee's report on the important issue of poor-quality supported housing. The Secretary of State has written to the chair of the Committee to acknowledge the report, and to advise that we are carefully considering its findings. We will respond fully to the recommendations as soon as possible.

Rented Housing: Pets

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that more tenants are able to have a (a) dog and (b) cat in their rented property.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of pet dog and cat ownership in rented housing.

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the white paper entitled A Fairer Private Rented Sector, published on 16 June 2022, whether he has had recent discussions with landlord groups on the potential impact of allowing landlords to require that pet-owning tenants have pet insurance.

Felicity Buchan: Pets can bring joy, happiness and comfort to their owners, supporting mental and physical wellbeing.The Government has committed to giving the right to tenants to request a pet that the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse. We will amend the Tenant Fees Act 2019 so that landlords can require insurance to cover damage to their property caused by pets.The Government has engaged a wide range of stakeholders from across the sector, including landlords, while developing these proposals and will continue to do so.

Veterans: Homelessness

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to end homelessness among veterans in Greater Manchester.

Felicity Buchan: For 2022/23 local authorities have been provided with £366 million through the Homelessness Prevention Grant to meet their homelessness strategies, including support for homeless veterans. Funding allocations can be found here. In addition, the Government recently announced a further £8.55m to support the delivery of new veteran supported housing.Data on households who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, for England including those in Greater Manchester show levels of veteran homelessness is low - less than 1% of homeless households.Latest numbers for Greater Manchester can be found within the quarterly data publication (Apr - June) available here (Table A3).

Flats: Insulation

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on the number of residential blocks in (a) the London Borough of Hounslow and (b) Brentford and Isleworth constituency which are waiting for the removal of (i) aluminium composite material and (ii) non aluminium composite material cladding.

Lee Rowley: Information on the number of high-rise (over 18 metres) residential and publicly-owned buildings with Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding systems unlikely to meet Building Regulations is available in the Building Safety Programme data release. Figures for the London Borough of Hounslow can be found here.For high-rise residential buildings with unsafe non-ACM cladding, the Department is continuing to work with building owners to progress applications for the Building Safety Fund. Information on registrations to the Building Safety Fund (including by local authority) can be found here, showing a total of 30 registrations in Hounslow.Information on the prevalence of external wall system life-safety fire risk in 11-18m residential buildings in England is available here. The Department's analysis of the estimate of the prevalence of external wall system life-safety fire risk in mid-rise residential buildings is not available at local authority or constituency level.As of 31 December 2022, a total of 17 residential buildings over 18 metres in height in the London Borough of Hounslow and a total of 17 buildings in the Brentford and Isleworth constituency have been identified as still having unsafe ACM cladding awaiting removal or have been deemed eligible for the Building Safety Fund due to the presence of unsafe non-ACM cladding but are yet to complete remediation.

Department for Business and Trade

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Contracts

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many and what proportion of tier-one suppliers to his Department with contracts worth more than £1 million published relevant sub-contract opportunities on Contracts Finder in the financial year 2021-2022.

Kevin Hollinrake: We do not hold the requested information. Contracts Finder is for government departments to publish contracts and opportunities. The awarded supplier of a contract does not publish on Contracts Finder.

Companies: Codes of Practice

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had discussions with the Financial Reporting Council over the level of compliance with the corporate governance code among FTSE 350 firms.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Department has regular discussions with the Financial Reporting Council about the operation of the UK Corporate Governance Code and related issues. The Financial Reporting Council is responsible for maintaining the Code. Its annual Review of Corporate Governance Reporting assesses how companies have reported on their governance in line with the principles and provisions of the Code. The most recent, published in November 2022 assessed 100 FTSE 350 and smaller listed companies.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Disease Control

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February to Question 136862 on Disease Control, what the cost to the public purse was of the two mobile UV irradiation units deployed at 1 Victoria Street.

Kevin Hollinrake: The cost to the public purse of the two mobile UV irradiation units deployed at 1 Victoria Street was £1358, excluding VAT.

South Tyneside Council: Grants

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much money South Tyneside Council returned to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy from grants in December 2022.

Kevin Hollinrake: This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Members: Correspondence

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when she plans to respond to the letter dated 29 January 2023 from human rights organisations on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill; and if she will publish her response to that letter.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Department aims to respond to 80% of correspondence within 15 working days.I acknowledge receipt of the letter of 29 January from human rights organisations on the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill. I will reply shortly.

Employment: Bullying and Harassment

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of statutory protections for someone who has experienced (a) bullying and (b) harassment at work.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle workplace bullying and harassment.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to create a legal definition of bullying at work.

Kevin Hollinrake: Any form of bullying and harassment is unacceptable and has no place in today’s workplace.The Government is supporting the Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Bill introduced by the Hon Member for Bath. This Bill will strengthen protections for employees against workplace harassment.While bullying is not itself illegal, the Government believes that the best way to address bad behaviour in the workplace is through cultural change.The Government has published guidance that sets out the steps that employees can take if they are experiencing bullying or harassment at work, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/workplace-bullying-and-harassment.Acas provides free and impartial advice for employers and employees and has published guidance on how to deal with bullying in the workplace. This is available at: https://www.acas.org.uk/if-youre-treated-unfairly-at-work/being-bullied.

Employment: Coronavirus

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had discussions with employer representative bodies on flexibility for people with long COVID returning to employment.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Department speaks regularly with employers and business representative organisations about flexible working. These discussions have covered a range of issues, including the importance of flexible working in managing employees with long term health conditions, such as long covid. In December 2022 the Government announced plans[1] to make the right to request flexible working a day one right, alongside other changes to make flexible working more accessible to all employees. The Government is pleased to support the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Private Members’ Bill[2] which will deliver several of these changes.[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/making-flexible-working-the-default[2] https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3198

Northern Ireland Office

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the answer of 31 January to Question 133687 on UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland, what legislation his Department has identified as in the scope of the sunset of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill and required to continue to operate the Government’s international obligations.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The UK Government is committed to ensuring the necessary legislation is in place to uphold the UK’s international obligations, including the Withdrawal Agreement, Northern Ireland Protocol and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement after the sunset date. The Brexit Opportunities Unit has established regular intergovernmental meetings intended to support devolved counterparts with identification of which REUL is devolved or reserved, as part of the REUL Reform Programme.

Treasury

Bank of England and Office for Budget Responsibility: Economic Situation

Mr David Davis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the confidence intervals are for the (a) Office for Budget Responsibility's and (b) Bank of England's economic forecasts.

John Glen: The OBR is widely recognised as providing independent, credible and high-quality analysis and the OECD has described the OBR as a “model independent fiscal institution”. The OBR is also required by legislation to annually evaluate its forecasts in a Forecast Evaluation Report (link). The OBR also began to publish fan charts demonstrating the confidence intervals around its forecasts for key fiscal metrics in the October 2021 Economic and Fiscal Outlook (link). The Bank of England’s forecasting capability was reviewed by David Stockton in 2012 (link) and he found that “fundamentally, the forecast process and the associated forecasting tools employed by the Bank in support of its monetary policy decision making are sound.” It was reviewed again by the Bank’s Independent Evaluating Office in 2015 (link). The Bank also publishes confidence intervals summarising the Monetary Policy Committee’s collective judgement of the uncertainty around the forecasts for GDP, unemployment, and CPI inflation, in the Monetary Policy Report (link).

High-income Child Benefit Tax Charge

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the High-Income Child Benefit Charge to review rules on single and dual earners with the same level of household earnings.

John Glen: The High Income Child Benefit Charge is calculated on an individual rather than a household basis, in line with other income tax policy. This is because HMRC holds records on individual incomes, allowing them to identify who is liable for the charge, and communicate with these individuals to encourage compliance. However, HMRC does not routinely collect household relationship information, and changes to household make-up and income fluctuations would make it difficult for HMRC to calculate combined household incomes. Basing the HICBC on household income, to take into account single and dual earner households, would require all families in receipt of Child Benefit payments to report their household income data to HMRC, to ensure compliance. This would be costly to the Government and burdensome for families who currently do not need to provide this information.

Employment Schemes: Older Workers

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to support people over the age of 50 to re-enter the employment market.

John Glen: There does not appear to be one single cause driving older worker inactivity, and an ONS survey of recently inactive people aged over-50 highlighted retirement, redundancy, changes in lifestyle, caring responsibilities, and illness as some of the most common reasons. The Government has already announced a £1.3 billion support package to help those with health conditions or disabilities get into and thrive in work. This is alongside DWP’s 50PLUS: Choices offer, which provides support to help older workers remain in, or return to, work. To understand what further action should be taken as a result of the rise in economic inactivity, the Department for Work and Pensions is thoroughly reviewing workforce participation. The Government will respond in due course.

Energy: Taxation

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a one off windfall tax on energy companies.

James Cartlidge: The Energy Profits Levy was introduced in May 2022 to respond to very high prices that meant oil and gas companies are benefiting from exceptional profits. At Autumn Statement 2022, the government confirmed the rate of the levy would rise by a ten percentage points to 35%. This is on top of the 40% tax rate under the permanent regime, bringing the combined headline rate of tax for the sector to 75%, one of the highest amongst comparable North Sea regimes.   The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) forecast at Autumn Statement 2022 estimates revenues from EPL are expected to be £41.6 billion over the next five years. Total UK oil and gas revenues over this period are forecast to be around £80 billion.   At Autumn Statement, the Government also announced the Electricity Generator Levy, effective since 1 January 2023. This is a temporary 45% tax on extraordinary returns made by some UK electricity generators.

Driving: Costs

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish the (a) formula and (b) sources of data used to calculate motoring costs.

James Cartlidge: Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) are used by employers to reimburse an employee’s expenses for business mileage in their private vehicle. The government sets the AMAP rates to minimise administrative burdens. The AMAP rates aim to reflect running costs including fuel, servicing and depreciation. Depreciation is estimated to constitute the most significant proportion of the AMAP rates. There is no formula or calculation which delivers the AMAPs rates for cars of 45 pence per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25 pence per mile thereafter. The decision on what rates to adopt is a policy decision taken by the Chancellor after considering a range of factors. These factors include:• the costs of motoring per business mile for a range of cars and mileages;• the transport needs of business;• the cost to the Exchequer of changing the rate;• the overall fiscal position.” Employers are not required to use the AMAPs rates. Instead, they can agree to reimburse a different amount that better reflects their employees’ circumstances. If an employee is paid less than the AMAP rate, they can claim Mileage Allowance Relief (MAR) on the shortfall. However, where payments exceed the relevant AMAP rate, there will be a tax and National Insurance charge on the difference.

Energy: Business

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason trade intensity was determined as one of the two key criteria for eligibility for enhanced energy support; and when that decision was communicated to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

James Cartlidge: Under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme, eligibility for Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETIIs) support is based on energy and trade intensity. These firms, predominately in manufacturing industries, are often less able to pass through cost to their customers due to international competition. The firms eligible for ETIIs scheme are those operating within sectors that fall above the 80th percentile for energy intensity and 60th percentile for trade intensity, and those within sectors eligible for the existing Energy Intensive Industries compensations and exemption schemes. Government departments are in regular contact on a range of issues, including energy, and were engaged throughout the Energy Bill Relief Scheme review process.

Energy Price Guarantee

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact on households of increases in the Energy Price Guarantee.

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of stopping the rise in the Energy Prince Guarantee planned for 1 April 2023.

James Cartlidge: As announced at the Autumn Statement, the Energy Prince Guarantee (EPG) will rise to £3000 from April 2023 until April 2024. It is important to ensure fiscal sustainability whilst continuing to provide support on energy bills. The EPG continues to be a significant intervention and will save the average household around £900 this winter, based on forecasts at the Autumn Statement. The EPG, alongside the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) for all households, will mean the typical household has received around £1300 of support this winter. The Government has announced £37 billion of support for households and individuals for the cost of living in 2022-23. As part of this financial year’s cost of living support and in addition to universal support with energy bills, millions of the most vulnerable households have received £150 Council Tax rebate and one-off £650 Cost of Living Payment for those on means-tested benefits, with additional £300 cost of living support for pensioners and a one-off cost of living payment of £150 for those claiming disability benefits.  The Government has announced further support for 2023-24 designed to target the most vulnerable households. This cost of living support is worth £26 billion in 2023-24, in addition to benefits, including £300 cost of living payments for pensioners, £150 for individuals on disability benefits and £900 for those on means-tested benefits. The Government continues to keep the current situation under review. The economic and fiscal position remain challenging, which is why it is right that the Government has taken action to maintain fiscal sustainability whilst targeting its support to the most vulnerable.

Energy: Taxation

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assumptions and forecasts were made of the total expenditure forecast as qualifying for 80 per cent investment allowances under section 2 of the Energy (Oil and Gas) Profits Levy Act 2022 in each year that the levy will be in force; whether assumptions were made (a) in preparation for the announcement of the levy on 26 May 2022, (b) the Autumn Statement 2022 and (c) another time; and whether different assumptions and forecasts were made at different times.

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assumptions and forecasts were made of expenditure which will qualify for 80 per cent allowances as decarbonisation expenditure following the policy changes set out in para 5.32 of Autumn Statement 2022 for each year in which the Energy Profits (Oil and Gas) Levy will be in operation; and what assumptions and forecasts were taken into account in the policy costings set out at line 22 of Table 5.1 of the Autumn Statement.

James Cartlidge: The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) forecast at Autumn Statement 2022 estimates revenues from EPL are expected to be £41.6 billion over the next five years. This is inclusive of the impact of the investment allowance. At Autumn Statement, the OBR published their Economic and Fiscal Outlook. This includes expenditure forecasts and is available here: https://obr.uk/efo/economic-and-fiscal-outlook-november-2022/

Car Allowances

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to increase Approved Mileage Allowance Payments levels, in the context of rising costs for drivers.

Ian Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to update mileage rates for public sector workers in line with real costs.

Ian Byrne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the rate of reimbursement for public sector workers who have to drive personal vehicles to work, in the context of rising costs of running a car.

Matt Western: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when mileage rates were last reviewed; and if his Department will conduct a new review of rates.

Owen Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will use the Spring Budget to announce an increase in Approved Mileage Allowance Payments.

James Cartlidge: Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) are used by employers to reimburse an employee’s expenses for business mileage in their private vehicle. AMAPs are intended to create administrative simplicity and certainty by using an average rate, which reflects vehicle running costs including fuel, servicing and depreciation. Fuel is therefore only one component. The AMAP rate is advisory and employers can choose to pay more or less than the advisory rate. It is therefore ultimately up to employers, including public sector organisations, to determine the rate at which they reimburse their employees. Employees who receive less than the AMAP rate can claim tax relief on the difference. Employees who receive more will be taxed on the difference. Like all taxes and allowances, the Government keeps the AMAP rate under review.

Public Sector: Pay

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of public sector pay restraint on the economy.

John Glen: Pay for most frontline workforces – including nurses, teachers, armed forces and police officers – is set through an independent Pay Review Body (PRBs) process. The PRBs consider a range of evidence when forming their recommendations, including the need to recruit, retain and motivate suitably able and qualified people; the financial circumstances of government; the government’s policies for improving public services; and the government’s inflation target. They consider the whole remuneration package of those working in the public sector when forming their recommendations, including the substantially more generous pensions available, on average, for public sector workers. As part of the PRB process, HM Treasury publishes economic evidence to PRBs. HM Treasury published its economic evidence to PRBs for the 2023/24 pay round in January. This set out the economic, labour market and fiscal context within which we ask the independent PRBs to consider their recommendations for 2023-24 pay awards. Please see the evidence HMT has published.Economic_Evidence_January_2023_-_final_version_PUBLISHED.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)More generally, the OBR will include any impact of government policy on the economy in their economic forecasts.

Economic Growth: Birmingham

Steve McCabe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of economic growth in Birmingham.

John Glen: This Government is committed to creating an environment in which high economic growth benefits all. The latest data indicate that Birmingham’s output grew by 6% from 2010 to 2020. This compares to growth of 6% for the UK economy over the same period. However, as outlined in the Levelling up White Paper, some of the UK’s most successful cities lag behind their international comparators when it comes to productivity and incomes. This is why the Government is committed to supporting Birmingham’s potential to grow even further, including through the Levelling up Fund, where £52.5m was awarded to three Birmingham based projects as part of the first round. In addition, and building on the existing £1.1bn devolution deal, this Government is negotiating a deeper, trailblazer devolution deal with the West Midlands Combined Authority that will devolve further skills, housing, transport and net zero powers to the Combined Authority to drive growth in the region.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Finance

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on funding for implementation of the Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services published on 30 January 2023; and whether additional funding will be allocated for implementation of the plan.

John Glen: The Delivery plan for recovering urgent and emergency care services sets out the NHS’ plan for one of the fastest and longest sustained improvements in emergency waiting times in its history. It is backed by dedicated funding of £1 billion towards 5,000 new beds, 800 new ambulances. It also details £150 million to build 150 new facilities to support mental health in the acute setting, and £1.6 billion of additional social care discharge funding over 23/24 and 24/25. The Treasury has been closely involved in the development of the plan in the usual way.

Taxation: Self-assessment

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of paper tax returns submitted before the 31 October deadline had by midnight of the following 31 January (a) been processed and (b) had any arising demands for payment of tax owed issued in each of the last five years.

Victoria Atkins: Information in the form requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Electronic Funds Transfer: Fraud

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) financial regulators and (b) the Financial Conduct Authority are equipped to protect people against authorised push payment fraud.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions his Department has had with the banking sector on authorised push payment scams.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure people who are targeted by authorised push payment fraud are reimbursed in full.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Payment Systems Regulator on the powers they require to introduce mandatory protections for victims of authorised push payment scams.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many cases the Financial Ombudsman Service has opened in the last year on authorised push payment fraud.

Andrew Griffith: The Government recognises the growing threat posed to consumers by Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud, with increasingly sophisticated scams that can be detrimental to people’s lives. Since 2016, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) and the payments industry have worked together to both prevent payments fraud, and to develop better mechanisms for reimbursing victims. This has included the voluntary Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM) Code, introduced in 2019, under which signatory payment service providers voluntarily reimburse APP victims. The government recognised and welcomed these developments. However, reimbursement to victims of APP scams remains inconsistent. That is why the Government has introduced legislation as part of the Financial Services & Markets Bill to enable the Payment Systems Regulator to require payment service providers (including banks) to reimburse APP scam victims, and placed a duty on the PSR to act in relation to the Faster Payments system (over which vast majority of APP scams currently occur) within 6 months of the legislation coming into force. Following Royal Assent, the PSR will have the powers to deliver an effective reimbursement requirement, and the Government believes this will ensure more consistent and comprehensive reimbursement for APP scam victims. In its recent consultation on mandatory APP scam reimbursement, the PSR proposed requiring all banks and other payment service providers sending payments over the Faster Payments system to fully reimburse APP scam victims, with very limited exceptions. The Government looks forward to hearing the outcomes of this consultation, and meanwhile continues to progress the enabling legislation within the Financial Services & Markets Bill. Nevertheless, the Government is clear that fraud prevention is preferable to cure. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) already requires banks to take reasonable care to establish and maintain effective systems and controls for countering the risk that they might be used to further financial crime, and it already has the appropriate powers to monitor and enforce compliance with such regulations. The Government and financial regulators are also engaged on what more can be done to improve APP fraud prevention, including considering what legislative change is necessary to support the payments sector in taking a risk-based approach to payments processing. Regarding Departmental meetings with the banking sector, I would note that Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel The Government recognises that customers can experience inconsistent outcomes under the existing Authorised Push Payment (APP) scam reimbursement Code, which is adjudicated by the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). The FOS publishes annual complaints data and insights on its website, which can be found at the following address: https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/data-insight/annual-complaints-data

Childcare: Taxation

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing (a) business rates and (b) issuing VAT refunds for (i) nurseries and (ii) childcare providers to help with increases in the cost of living.

Victoria Atkins: At Autumn Statement 2022, the Government announced a package of changes and tax cuts worth £13.6 billion to businesses over the next five years. This includes a freeze to the business rates multiplier for 2023-24, a tax cut worth £9.3 billion over the next 5 years, meaning all bills are 6% lower than without the freeze. The Government also announced a generous Exchequer funded Transitional Relief scheme worth £1.6 billion, which will protect an estimated 700,000 ratepayers facing bill increases at the revaluation. The Government has no plans to re-introduce a nurseries relief at this time. While we keep all taxes under review, we have no plans to make changes to the VAT exemption which private nurseries and childcare providers currently enjoy.

Gaming Machines: Excise Duties

Scott Benton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing businesses in the land-based gambling sector that pay Machine Games Duty to reclaim VAT.

Victoria Atkins: The takings from gaming machines that are subject to Machine Games Duty are exempt from VAT. This means that businesses do not have to charge any VAT on the machine takings but, in line with the normal VAT rules, they cannot reclaim VAT on related costs. There are no plans to review the VAT liability of this income.

Financial Services: Environment Protection

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when his Department will publish the UK's Green Taxonomy.

Andrew Griffith: The Government is committed to implementing a green taxonomy as part of its sustainable finance agenda. However, the Government is clear that the value of a taxonomy rests on its credibility as a practical and useful tool for investors, companies, consumers, and regulators in supporting access to sustainable finance. These are long term matters, and it is important to proceed carefully. Having received advice from the Green Technical Advisory Group, and following stakeholder engagement, the Government believes that there is benefit in reviewing its approach to taxonomy development to maximise the effectiveness of our sustainable finance agenda. We’ll be setting out next steps in the Green Finance Strategy in the coming months.

Pensions: Tax Allowances

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to further review the annual allowance tax charge for those in receipt of a pension in (a) the aviation sector and (b) other sectors experiencing skill shortages in order to ensure that highly skilled workers are retained in those sectors.

Andrew Griffith: Pensions tax relief is one of the most expensive reliefs in the personal tax system. In 2020/21 Income Tax and employer National Insurance Contributions relief cost £67.3 billion. The annual and lifetime allowances help to ensure that the highest earning pension savers do not receive a disproportionate benefit. 99 per cent of pension savers make annual contributions below £40,000, the level of standard annual allowance. All aspects of the tax system are kept under review as part of the annual Budget process, and in the context of the wider public finances. We are fully committed to supporting the aviation industry as it is vital to our future as a global trading nation as well as playing an important role in local economies. In May 2022, the Government published Flightpath to the Future - our strategic framework for the sector to build back better, make UK aviation cleaner, greener and more competitive than ever before. It also explores key issues including workforce and skills, recovery, global impact, innovation and decarbonisation.

Domicil

Matt Western: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average length of stay is of individuals resident in the UK and claiming non-domiciled tax status.

Victoria Atkins: HM Revenue and Customs published a full set of annual statistics on non-domiciled taxpayers.

Revenue and Customs: Staff

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many FTE employees have been working in the HMRC Wealthy Team in each tax year since 2010-11.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC’s Wealthy team was formed in April 2017. Data on full time equivalent (FTE) employees for the years 2017-2021 has previously been provided under FOI2020/03070. For 2021-22 there were 961 Staff equivalent to 887 FTE.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Public Sector: Publicity

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to make it easier for public notices to be published in non print publications; and if she will make a statement.

Julia Lopez: Policy responsibility for each specific type of public notice lies with a range of different government departments. The Government is mindful of the potential effect that any changes to the existing publicity requirements for public notices might have on transparency and local democracy, as well as the potential effect on the sustainability of the local news sector as a whole. We recognise the continued importance of print local newspapers to the communities they serve and that there will continue to be a need to reach out to people who cannot digitally access information.At the same time, to help address the desire for more digitalisation and greater audience reach in the publication of public notices, the local newspaper sector has been working with Google to develop an online Public Notice Portal. The Portal is intended to take advantage of print publishers’ growing digital audiences, providing a centralised resource for all types of public notice. The Government is monitoring the Portal’s development, and the effect that it has on the transparency of public notices.

Television Licences: Older People

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many over 75's have been subject to court action for the non-payment of TV Licence in each of the last three years for which data is available.

Julia Lopez: Collecting and enforcing the Licence Fee is the responsibility of the BBC. The BBC has recently confirmed that no enforcement action has been taken against over-75s for TV licence evasion at this stage.The Government has been clear that the BBC must ensure that it supports those affected by its decision on the over-75s concession, and we expect them to do so with the utmost sensitivity.

Future of Women's Football Review

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether player (a) wellbeing and (b) safeguarding are being considered as part of the Future of Women's Football review.

Stuart Andrew: The Review is progressing well, with stakeholder evidence sessions taking place focused on the key themes of the Review. This has included evidence sessions with players from the Women’s Super League and Championship, as well as a session with retired players. These sessions focused on the key challenges and issues affecting a female professional footballer’s career, including wellbeing and safeguarding.The Review’s report is expected by summer 2023, and the government will respond afterwards.

Future of Women's Football Review

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent estimate she has made of when the Future of Women's Football review will publish its report; and whether players have had an opportunity to contribute to the work of the review.

Stuart Andrew: The Review is progressing well, with stakeholder evidence sessions taking place focused on the key themes of the Review. This has included evidence sessions with players from the Women’s Super League and Championship, as well as a session with retired players. These sessions focused on the key challenges and issues affecting a female professional footballer’s career, including wellbeing and safeguarding.The Review’s report is expected by summer 2023, and the government will respond afterwards.

Sportsgrounds: Safety

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Sports Ground Safety Authority has responsibility for (a) the safety of pitch-adjacent walls and barriers and (b) other aspects of player and athlete security within stadiums; and whether there are minimum and evidence-based standards in place to protect player safety.

Stuart Andrew: The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is absolutely paramount.Sports pitch perimeter safety is primarily the responsibility of the relevant national governing body of the sport, and the relevant competition/event organisers of the fixture.It is for individual clubs to carry out risk assessments and put in place mitigations that will improve player safety.The Sports Grounds Safety Authority has regulatory responsibility to issue licences which permit relevant football grounds to admit spectators, and to oversee local authorities in their duties around related safety certification.

Football: Sportsgrounds

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps with (a) football authorities and (b) the police to help (i) tackle large-scale pitch invasions in stadiums and (ii) protect the workplace safety of professional footballers.

Stuart Andrew: The safety of all players participating in football matches is a priority for the government.Prior to the start of the 2022/23 football season, the Premier League and English Football League publicised that any fan entering the pitch would be banned by the club they support for a minimum period of one year. These bans could also be extended to accompanying parents or guardians of children who take part in these activities. These measures are in addition to the existing Football Banning Order regime which can be imposed by a court for a football-related offence, including entering the pitch.The government will continue to work with the police and football authorities to review all forms of fan disorder at football matches.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Energy Bills Rebate

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what length of time it takes to process payments under the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding once an application has been submitted.

Graham Stuart: The exact date that an eligible household will receive support will depend on when the application is made and when the payment can be processed by the relevant local authority. The online application portal and accompanying contact centre helpline for those who do not have online access will be open by 27 February.

Energy Bills Rebate: Park Homes

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether park home residents who pay for their energy usage through an intermediary such as a park home owner will be eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme discount where the intermediary has benefited from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) will provide £400 support to those households who do not have a direct relationship with a domestic electricity supplier in England, Scotland, and Wales, with the application portal due to open by 27 February. Park home residents, where the park home owner procures their electricity through a commercial contract and is therefore eligible for the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, are likely to be eligible for the EBSS AF.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Religious Freedom: Christianity

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of trends in the level of freedom of religion and belief for Christians in other countries.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Promotion of the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a longstanding human rights priority for the UK. A range of analyses, including reports from organisations which look at trends, informs our work and approach to freedom of religion or belief. We demonstrated the depth of our commitment to FoRB by hosting an international Ministerial conference in July 2022. We continue to recognise the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, alongside recognising the persecution of others on the basis of their religion or belief.

Maira Shahbaz

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to his counterparts in Pakistan on the case of Maira Shahbaz.

Leo Docherty: Protecting women's rights is central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. On 14 October 2022, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and Minister responsible for Human Rights, raised forced conversions with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada. In December 2022, the UK announced sanctions against Mian Abdul Haq, a Pakistani cleric who is responsible for the forced religious conversions and forced marriages of young girls. We are not prepared to discuss the detail of individual cases where to do so could put individuals and their families' lives at risk.

UK Membership of EU

Sir William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will place in the House of Commons Library a copy of the full unedited report by Sir Con O'Neill, produced for his Department, entitled Britain's Entry into the European Community, on the negotiations of 1970 to 1972.

Leo Docherty: The full unredacted report is held at The National Archives under file reference FCO 75/1. This file was transferred to The National Archives under the terms of the Public Records Act and is publicly available to be viewed.

Pakistan: Ahmadiyya

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his Department's policies of the destruction of an Ahmadi Mosque in Pakistan on 8th December.

Leo Docherty: Protecting freedom of religion or belief for minority communities continues to be central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and Minister responsible for Human Rights, raised the treatment of Ahmadi Muslims with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, on 30 January. On 9 January, Minister of State for Development Andrew Mitchell raised this issue with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The British High Commission in Islamabad continues to engage at a senior level with government representatives and civil society, including on recent attacks on Ahmadi mosques.

Nigeria: Elections

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the security situation in Nigeria ahead of its presidential and legislative elections.

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the risk of violence in the aftermath of Nigeria's presidential and legislative elections.

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Nigerian presidential candidates ahead of that country's presidential election.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The 2023 elections will be a significant test of Nigeria's democracy with the whole country facing multiple, complex security challenges. I [Minister Mitchell] met the leading presidential candidates in December and January and discussed the importance of free and safe elections. We are committed to supporting Nigeria through our diplomatic engagement, technical advice, programmes and election observation. Our civil society partners are working with different media organisations to counter disinformation, and my officials have conducted scenario-planning work to prepare for a range of outcomes and risks. The UK Government will continue to raise the importance of political parties, security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission working together to ensure peaceful elections.

Somaliland: Police

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding the Government allocated to Somaliland's police Rapid Reaction Unit between 2011 and 2020.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK has supported security and justice sector reform in Somaliland since 2011. This has included work to improve the effectiveness of the judiciary and prosecutors, the police, coastguard and army, in compliance with international law and in line with international human rights standards. UK funding for Somaliland's Police Rapid Reaction Unit (RRU) ended in March 2020. Exact figures for the amount of funding allocated to Somaliland's police RRU are not available, as support was provided as part of wider projects.

Humanitarian Aid

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an estimate of the proportion of humanitarian aid supplied by the UK that is distributed directly by local actors in the recipient regions.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: UK humanitarian aid is distributed through a range of delivery partners, including directly via local organisations; or through international organisations who themselves work through local actors. The exact proportion of local versus international partners shifts regularly according to need and context. We do not hold precise figures centrally. However, the UK strongly supports the role of national and local organisations in meeting humanitarian needs and building resilience. Strengthening local actors is an important part of the UK approach including through our contributions to Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPFs), to which the UK was the second largest donor in 2022; the START Network, an NGO-Managed rapid financing mechanism for humanitarian response which the UK helped establish in 2014 and remains a major donor to; and our support for the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) which is the worlds largest humanitarian network.

Nigeria: Abortion

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Nigerian counterpart on reports that the Nigerian military has been carrying out a programme of mass forced abortions in north-eastern Nigeria.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We have raised the matter with the Nigerian Government and welcome the announcement from the National Human Rights Commission that it has appointed a special panel to investigate these reports. We continue to follow developments closely.

Peru: Elections

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Peruvian counterpart on the possibility of an early general election in that country.

Leo Docherty: The Minister for the Americas & Caribbean, David Rutley discussed the political situation in Peru during a recent meeting with the Peruvian Ambassador. Our Embassy in Lima is also in regular contact with the Peruvian authorities about the ongoing political crisis and we are closely monitoring news on a possible early election. The UK has made clear its support for the Government of Peru, for constitutional order and for the rule of law.

Iran: Nuclear Weapons

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Nicaraguan counterpart in that country's government's support for Iran's nuclear weapons programme.

Leo Docherty: We have not had specific discussions with the Nicaraguan government about any support it may be giving for Iran's nuclear programme. However, the UK remains clear in its determination that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon. Iran's nuclear programme has never been more advanced than it is today. It is threatening international peace and security and undermining the global non-proliferation system. We are considering next steps with our partners.

Bangladesh: Foreign Relations

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to strengthen ties between the UK and Bangladesh.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK was one of the first countries to recognise Bangladesh's independence in 1971, celebrating 50 years of diplomatic relations in February 2022. We continue to expand the UK/Bangladesh ties, including on trade and investment, defence and security, people-to-people links and cooperation on Rohingya and climate. Bangladesh is a key trading partner in the region, with UK-Bangladesh trade totalling $4.5 billion per year. Last year, we provided £75 million of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Bangladesh. As Bangladesh works toward graduation from Least Developed Country status in 2026, the UK is proud to stand as a close partner, strengthening ties and building on our shared interests.

Russia: Sanctions

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Russian nationals subject to UK sanctions are resident in the UK.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK Government cannot disclose information on residency status of those on the sanctions list. Details of all sanctioned individuals and entities are listed on the UK sanctions list, which can be found on gov.uk:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-sanctions-list

Haiti: Crimes of Violence

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Haitian counterpart on the alleged involvement of the Fantom 509 group of former police officers in violence in that country.

Leo Docherty: The Foreign Secretary has not discussed alleged involvement of the 'Fantom 509' group of former police officers in violence in Haiti with his Haitian counterpart.

Sidhu Moose Wala

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has recent discussions with his counterparts in India on Shubhdeep Singh.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We are aware of the case of Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, and our network in India will continue to monitor developments. However, we recognise that this is a matter for India.In general, where we have any issues, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level.

China: Religious Freedom

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom hearing on 14 December 2022 entitled China’s Religious Freedom Violations: Domestic Repression and Malign Influence Abroad.

Leo Docherty: The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's hearing on 14 December further highlights China's ongoing human rights violations.The environment for freedom of religion or belief across China is restrictive, including the persecution of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and others on the grounds of their religion or belief.We work within the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance and other international organisations and networks to promote and protect freedom of religion or belief for all where it is threatened.More broadly, we regularly raise the human rights situation in China directly with the Chinese authorities at the highest levels. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on 20 September.

Russia: South Africa

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his American counterparts on recent reports of deepening (a) defence and (b) economic ties between South Africa and Russia.

David Rutley: We are committed to working with international partners to mitigate the impact of Russia's actions globally. The UK regularly engages with international counterparts, including the US and South Africa, across a range of defence and economic interests in the region. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on 17 January to discuss how we can best support Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. The Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell also discussed a range of issues, including the Ukraine conflict, with South African Deputy Foreign Minister Botes on 19 January. Our High Commission in Pretoria regularly engages South African counterparts on Russia-related matters, and keeps in close touch with US colleagues.

Turkey: Christianity

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of Turkish authorities’ actions towards Protestant Christian leaders in Turkey in 2023.

Leo Docherty: We keep the human rights situation in Turkey under close scrutiny at all times, including the monitoring of issues relating to freedom of religion and belief. We support the rights of all minority groups in Turkey, including Christians and note that the right to freedom of religion and belief is clearly enshrined in the Turkish constitution. We will continue to raise issues of freedom of religion and belief with the Turkish authorities.

Afghanistan: Hazara

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Hazara community in Afghanistan.

Leo Docherty: FCDO officials regularly press the Taliban to protect religious and ethnic minorities. We are working with international partners to ensure credible monitoring to hold those responsible for human rights abuses to account. On 7 October 2022, we co-sponsored a Human Rights Council resolution to extend the UN Special Rapporteur's mandate. His latest report to the Human Rights Council included an assessment of the situation for Hazara communities. We regularly engage with Hazara representatives who provide vital insight on the situation. Most recently, on 8 December 2022, the Minister for South Asia met representatives from Hazara community groups.

Ethiopia: Press Freedom

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Ethiopian counterpart on recent restrictions placed on (a) the BBC Somali service and (b) other news organisations in the Somali regional state of Ethiopia.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The British Embassy in Addis Ababa has raised the UK's Human Rights issues with the Ethiopia Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the recent restrictions placed on the BBC Somali Service and other news organisations in Somali Regional State. The Embassy is working to establish the facts and will continue to raise with the authorities in Addis Ababa. The UK supports the development of a strong and independent media in Ethiopia and funds a number of programmes that aim to build media capacity, including the BBC Media Action project, "Protecting Independent Media For Effective Development" (PRIMED).

Nigeria: Christianity

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the abduction of Christians in Kaduna State, Nigeria on 25 December 2022.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the killing of Fr Isaac Achi in Nigeria.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his counterparts in Nigeria on the case of Mubarak Bala.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We condemn all violence across Nigeria, including the recent kidnapping in Kaduna state and the murder of Fr. Isaac Achi in Niger state. Events such as these are occurring across Nigeria as conflict and insecurity rises. The Minister of State for Africa & Development recently discussed this challenge with some of Nigeria's leading presidential candidates, and with the Governor of Kaduna. The UK continues to support Nigeria to tackle this issue, and fulfil its constitutional commitment to Freedom of Religion or Belief, by strengthening military capabilities, human rights compliance, policing, and anti-kidnap capacity through our UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership.The UK Government continues to raise Mr Bala's case with the Nigerian authorities, most recently with the Kano State Government on 19 January.

East Africa: Humanitarian Situation

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the High-Level Task Force on Preventing Famine’s capacity to co-ordinate the civil society and multilateral response to famine in East Africa; and what assessment he has made of potential steps to help improve the Task Force’s capacity to manage a co-ordinated response in East Africa.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is committed to working with our partners to mobilise international action to avert famine in East Africa. The High-Level Task Force (HLTF) on Preventing Famine has advocated for famine prevention resources and improved access to people in need. We are working with partners to explore ways the HLTF can be reinvigorated to address the risk of famine.

Development Aid: Vaccination

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what valuation his Department has given to each vaccine donation in its accounting for Official Development Assistance in 2022.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We are awaiting final OECD-DAC guidelines on reporting Official Development Assistance expenditure on vaccine donations in 2022. Once agreed we will use this guidance as we did with our expenditure for vaccine donations in 2021.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Protective Clothing

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of improving general service respirators for service personnel who have facial hair for religious reasons.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using silicone bands on general service respirators for service personnel who have facial hair for religious reasons.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Acknowledging previous PQs on the same theme, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 February 2021, to Questions 145107 and 145108 and relating to Questions 133119,133120 and 133121, that articulated MODs historical and ongoing approach to and consideration of inclusive solutions for Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) respiratory protection, including communication of the fundamental complexities. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to active encouragement and growth of research, education, and advancements in the provision of inclusive counter-CBRN capabilities. The necessity for diversity and inclusion consideration is recognized globally and features within the key requirements of MODs counter-CBRN policy, strategies, research and international engagements. In specific response to the recent questions, it is to be highlighted that, amongst other activities, the MOD ran a targeted “Respiratory Protection and Facial Hair Compatibility Workshop” in January 2022, supported by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). This workshop directly discussed “the potential merits of improving general service respirators for service personnel who have facial hair for religious reasons” and “the potential merits of using silicone bands on general service respirators for service personnel who have facial hair for religious reasons”. The workshop included representation from the Diversity and Inclusion and Faith Networks and provided an opportunity to better inform the User community on the subject of respiratory protection and facial hair, focusing on the General Service Respirator (GSR). Some of the recommendations from this workshop were incorporated into Defence Counter-CBRN policy and Defence continues to fund academic research and development programmes that explore alternative respiratory options appropriate for Service personnel who have facial hair for religious reasons.Armed Forces Protective Clothing (docx, 18.8KB)

Typhoon Aircraft: Fuels

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much fuel is consumed in an average half-hour flight in a Typhoon; and how much that fuel costs.

Alex Chalk: Fuel usage and costs are not recorded on a per hour or per flight basis. Actual fuel usage is dependent upon a wide range of variables including aircraft weight, sortie type and length, weather and power use. Fuel costs also vary greatly dependent on the source of the fuel and more than one method of fuelling can be used for any given flight hour. For example, baseline fuels costs will vastly differ between Ministry of Defence (MOD) bulk fuel contracts, or commercial rates with fuel suppliers when visiting non-MOD aerodromes, or receiving Air-to-Air Refuelling support from RAF tanker aircraft and those of Partner Nations.

Fleet Solid Support Ships: Contracts

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the price for the Fleet Solid Support Ship contract was adjusted to reflect that one of the parties was state-owned.

Alex Chalk: No. The Fleet Solid Support ship competition was run strictly as set out in the rules contained in the Invitation to Negotiate, including the application of the evaluation criteria. These requirements, including the budget, were applicable to all prospective bidders in the competition from the outset.

Armed Forces: Food

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Question of 20 January 2023 to Question 128596 on Armed Forces: Food, how many complaints have been made by service personnel at messing facilities in UK military bases relating to the quality of food served each year since 2010.

Alex Chalk: Data on complaints is held at each messing facility. Service personnel can log complaints directly at the point of sale, on customer helpdesks and through their Chain of Command.The data requested is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Typhoon Aircraft

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) in service and (b) out of service dates are for (i) Tranche 1, (ii) Tranche 2, (iii) Tranche 3 and (iv) Tranche 4 of the RAF’s Eurofighter Typhoons.

Alex Chalk: The in service and current planned out of service dates for the RAF’s fleet of Typhoon aircraft are given below:  In ServiceOut of ServiceTranche 120032027Tranche 220082040Tranche 320132040 On current plans, the bulk of the RAF’s 30 Typhoon Tranche 1 aircraft will go out of service on 31 March 2025, whilst four will be retained until 2027. The RAF does not have any Typhoon Tranche 4 aircraft.

Department for International Trade

Trade Promotion

Chi Onwurah: ORIGINAL: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2023 to Question 126639 on Trade Promotion, whether her Department identifies a difference between diaspora and diversity.

Nigel Huddleston: The question answered on 27 January, UIN: 126639, made reference to both diversity and diaspora, and the response from my Hon. Friend for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, the former Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Exports, highlighted our department’s commitment to diversity, however, we do not hold data on the involvement of diverse diaspora in trade delegations.

UK Tradeshow Programme

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many applications have been made to the Exhibit element of the UK Tradeshow Programme; and how much has been spent on that element in 2022-2023.

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many applications have been made to the Attendee element of the UK Tradeshow Programme; and how much has been spent on that element in 2022-2023.

Nigel Huddleston: A total of 258 and 164 applications have been submitted to the UK Tradeshow Programme, seeking support to either exhibit at, or attend, overseas trade shows respectively. Forecasted spend for 2022-23 is £228k for exhibitor support and £53k for support to attendees. In addition, there is a further £16k of spend on Export Academy training across both elements of the programme.

Trade Promotion: Ukraine

Nick Thomas-Symonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, to outline how many times the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy for Ukraine has visited that country since (a) being appointed and (b) February 2022.

Nigel Huddleston: Due to travel restrictions arising from Covid 19 and FCDO’s strict advice not to travel due to the ongoing war, the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Ukraine has been unable to visit since being appointed. However, the Department for International Trade, now known as the Department for Business and Trade, has delivered trade sanctions to help cripple Putin’s war machine, agreed a Digital Trade Agreement with Ukraine, removed all tariffs under the UK-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement, and continues to play a big role in supporting Ukrainian reconstruction efforts.

Women and Equalities

Restaurants: Braille

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make it her policy to make it mandatory for all restaurants to provide braille menus.

Stuart Andrew: Under the Equality Act 2010, businesses and service providers, including restaurants, already have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.The anticipatory duty requires them to consider the disadvantage(s) that may be experienced by a group of disabled people - for example, those who are blind - rather than an individual disabled person and ensure that relevant adjustments are put in place before they might actually be needed, so that people with such disabilities would not be put at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled service users when using facilities or services.Such adjustments should address the communication needs of deaf and blind customers and could include the provision of auxiliary aids, such as menus made available in Braille. We believe that a reasonableness test is appropriate, as individual circumstances will differ.

Equality Act 2010: Carers

Chris Law: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether the Government has received legal advice on amending the Equality Act 2010 to include care experience as a protected characteristic.

Stuart Andrew: The Government does not believe that the creation of new protected characteristics is often the most effective means of achieving positive change and fairer treatment. We will however continue to keep the Equality Act 2010 under review and if there were ever to be a formal review of the legislation, this recommendation could be revisited as part of that.In this context, we are unable to comment on whether or not legal advice has been received on the specific question of care experience.

Department for Transport

Low Emission Zones: Greater London

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed expansion of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone in London on (a) freight and logistics businesses based outside of London, (b) businesses based outside of London and (c) commuters based outside of London who drive into London.

Mr Richard Holden: Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London and this includes decisions on road schemes which charge users including the Ultra-Low EmissionZone(ULEZ).   It is for the Mayor to determine the impact on all people and firms that do business in the capital, wherever they are based. This includes the impact on freight and logistics businesses, other businesses, and commuters who need to drive into Greater London as part of his impact assessment on the expansion ULEZ expansion was not the Government’s decision and the Mayor had no legal obligation to consult local or central Government.   As a scheme that applies in London, this is the Mayor’s decision, and he is accountable for the impact of it.   The Government have been clear that grant funding, via the longer-term funding settlement, cannot be used to cover the estimated £250 million cost of implementation.   The Mayor and TfL must cover the cost of his scheme through alternative sources available to them if they wish to proceed with imposing the ULEZ charge.

Department for Transport: Hotels

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, (a) for how many (i) individuals and (ii) nights was accommodation purchased at the Bonaventure Hotel, Montreal, for staff attending the 41st Session of the International Civil Aviation Organization, and (b) what total payments were made to the Bonaventure Hotel for (i) that accommodation, and (ii) other costs associated with attendance at the event, including the provision of meeting rooms, equipment and refreshments.

Jesse Norman: With reference to two payments published in relation to spend in September 2022 for the Bonaventure Hotel. The payments were relating to costs associated with a meeting of the International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition (IACAC). The first cost of £1,635.04 was a deposit for the hire of the venue and the second cost of £7,773.23 was the final balance which included the provision of meeting rooms, equipment, and refreshments. The venue was booked for 150 attendees and accommodation was purchased separately.

Bicycles: Children

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help improve access to bicycles for children.

Jesse Norman: The Department’s new executive agency, Active Travel England, is funding a range of projects to enable more people to walk and cycle, including providing funding to local authorities to provide, or loan, cycles to children and adults. Separately, the Bikeability cycle training programme provides cycles in many schools where children do not have their own cycles for undertaking cycle training. In 2022/23 the Department provided £20 million to the Bikeability Trust, sufficient funding for half a million children to take part in cycle training.

Travel: Finance

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been ringfenced for active travel between the financial years 2021-22 and 2024-25.

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 6 July 2022 on Second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, HCWS184, what progress the Government has made on the objectives of (a) doubling cycling and (b) increasing levels of walking across the community by 2025.

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimates he has made of the funding needed to meet the objectives of (a) doubling cycling by 2025, (b) increasing walking trips by 2025, and (c) increasing the proportion of trips in towns and cities that are walked or cycled to 50% by 2030; and if he will publish the evidence on which those estimates are based.

Jesse Norman: In the 2022/23 - 2024/25 Spending Review period £710m was allocated for active travel. This is subject to post-Autumn Statement departmental business planning decisions. The Department has spent over £500m to date on active travel over the period 2021/22 to 2022/23.The second ‘Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS) Report to Parliament’, published in July 2022, provides the most comprehensive report on progress towards meeting the 2025 objectives. The report also details how the Department’s CWIS Investment Model has been used to estimate the impact of anticipated spending on walking and cycling levels up to 2025.

Bus Services: Rural Areas

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help maintain bus route provision in rural areas.

Mr Richard Holden: The Government has provided nearly £2 billion of support since March 2020 through emergency and recovery grants to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on the bus sector. This includes a six-month extension to the Bus Recovery Grant to provide up to £130 million to continue supporting bus services in England outside London until the end of March of this year. The Department for Transport is actively considering its support for the bus sector from April 2023. The Government is also providing £60 million to help bus operators cap single fares at £2 on services in England outside London from 1 January to 31 March 2023. Over 140 operators covering more than 4,600 routes throughout England are participating in the scheme, including in rural areas, which will help increase patronage on buses and help millions save on their regular travel costs. Our £20 million Rural Mobility Fund (RMF) is supporting 16 innovative, demand-led minibus trials in rural and suburban areas across 15 local authorities in England. These pilots are exploring whether Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) can serve these communities more effectively than traditional public transport solutions alone. We have engaged extensively with rural stakeholders on how new transport modes can benefit rural communities in developing the soon to be published Future of Transport: Rural Strategy.

Bus Services: Cambridgeshire

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many bus journeys were charged to his Department under the £2 bus fare cap in Cambridgeshire in January 2023.

Mr Richard Holden: The Department does not hold this information.

Musicians: EU Countries

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an estimate of the number of UK businesses which have established a subsidiary in the EU to avoid the cabotage rules impacting touring musicians and others.

Mr Richard Holden: The dual registration measure came into force in July 2022 to enable eligible specialist events hauliers to transfer their vehicles temporarily between their two operator licences without needing to change vehicle mid-tour. The measure does not enable the avoidance of cabotage rules, rather it allows specialist hauliers to undertake journeys in GB on the basis of their GB operator licence and to do the same in the other location on the basis of their EU or other third country operator licence. The Department understands that seven operators – which have an operating base in GB and in the EU or other third country – are currently making use of this measure.

Department for Transport: Hotels

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department’s payment to Petrospot Ltd. on 30 September 2022 for three people to attend the WISTA conference in October 2022, how many nights’ accommodation was included in the cost of that payment; and was that accommodation located within the main conference venue.

Mr Richard Holden: The payment to Petrospot Ltd was made for three standard conference tickets only. Accommodation was not taken at the main conference venue.

Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order 2023

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to The Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order 2023, which Government body will be responsible for enforcing that Order outside of harbour limits.

Mr Richard Holden: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency will be the Government body responsible for enforcement and all prosecutions under the Merchant Shipping (Watercraft) Order 2023 when it comes into force on 31 March 2023.

West Coast Main Line: Catering

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the correspondence from the Minister of State for Transport to the hon. Member for Stockport of 11 January 2023, if he will make an estimate of the number of catering roles that have been reduced on the West Coast Mainline in the period since Avanti West Coast took over that franchise.

Huw Merriman: Based on the December 2022 headcount figures, there has been a reduction of approximately 150 in on-board managers who undertake catering duties since Avanti West Coast (AWC) first took over the Franchise. It is important to note that pre-COVID staffing levels aligned to the timetable and catering proposition operating at that time. During the pandemic, AWC operated reduced timetables and moved towards demand-based staffing on-board, with staff who retired or resigned not automatically replaced. There has also been an industry-led Voluntary Service Scheme which was available to catering staff who opted to leave. AWC monitor catering demand and fill vacancies as required.

Blue Badge Scheme: EU Countries

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 23rd September 2022 to Question 49780, on Blue Badge Scheme: EU Countries, when he last met with counterparts in EU countries to discuss the recognition of the UK Blue Badge scheme.

Mr Richard Holden: Informal discussions continue with a number of countries. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on discussions while they are ongoing.

East Coast Main Line and West Coast Main Line: Closures

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of East and West Coast Mainline closures on 18 and 19 February on freight moved by rail.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential economic impact of the east and west coast mainline closures on 18 and 19 February 2023 on (a) Scotland and (b) the UK.

Huw Merriman: Network Rail aims to minimise the impact on passenger and freight services and in this case is able to maintain an Anglo-Scot route despite the parallel East Coast Mainline and West Coast Mainline closures. Rail passengers can still travel, albeit with extended journey times and the need to change, and freight volumes are generally lower on Saturdays than on weekdays and very low on Sundays. Network Rail considered moving the timing of one of the pieces of work, but assessed that this would cause more disruption for passengers and freight customers.

Bicycles and Electric Vehicles

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the (a) effectiveness of (i) bicycle, (ii) e-bikes and (iii) scooter recycling projects and (b) adequacy of financial support available for those schemes.

Jesse Norman: The Government provides funding for a range of projects which support cycle and e-cycle repair. This includes the Department’s ‘Fix Your Bike’ voucher scheme in 2020/21 which enabled people to claim £50 off the cost of a cycle service. An evaluation of this scheme is currently in progress. In 2022/23, the Department has also provided £2 million to Cycling UK’s ongoing ‘Big Bike Revival’ project, which includes cycle repairs and maintenance workshops, including for onward sale or donation of second-hand cycles. The Department is currently developing standards around the construction and use of e-scooters and has not yet completed any assessment of recycling projects for e-scooters. The disposal and recycling of e-scooters currently falls under the responsibility of the Office for Product Safety Standards, and like e-cycles, e-scooters are required to meet the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations (2013).

Cycling: Road Signs and Markings

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of signage standards for cycle routes; and if he will take steps to introduce a national framework for accessible signage.

Jesse Norman: The colours, shapes and appearance of signs are based on the principles of the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals 1968, as supplemented by the Geneva Agreement of 1971 and Geneva Protocol of 1973. The Department continues to support this approach and has no current intentions to review it.

Electric Vehicles

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the level of excess demand for (a) hybrid and (b) electric vehicles.

Jesse Norman: The UK market for zero emission and hybrid vehicles is growing significantly. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, new battery electric vehicles accounted for a record-breaking 16.6% of registrations in 2022, second only to petrol. Taking into account plug-in hybrids, over 1 in 5 new cars sold came with a plug last year. The Government continues to monitor the ongoing challenges in global semiconductor supply chains, which are affecting several areas, including the automotive sector. Whilst no specific assessment has been made on excess demand for hybrid and electric vehicles, the Government is in regular engagement with consumers and industry to understand the market and support the transition to zero emission vehicles.

Electric Vehicles

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of cars in the UK are electric vehicles.

Jesse Norman: The latest official statistics show that the proportion of cars in the UK that are battery electric is 1.7% as of 30 September 2022.

Travel

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 31st January 2023 to Question 132419, when Active Travel England's report on local authorities’ active travel capability will be published.

Jesse Norman: Active Travel England plans to publish a report on local authority active travel capability ratings over the course of the next month. Some local authorities have already disclosed their self-assessment rating.

Department for Education

Department for Education: Written Questions

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question 121149, tabled by the hon. Member for Twickenham on 11 January 2023.

Nick Gibb: I can confirm that a response has been submitted to the hon. Member for Twickenham to Question 121149.

Schools: Closures

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools were closed due to serious structural issues in each (a) region and (b) local authority in England in each year since 2010.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the longest period of time was that a school was closed due to serious structural issues in England since 2010.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average length of time was that schools that closed due to serious structural issues were closed in England since 2010.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what was the cost to the public purse of compensating staff and children for injuries caused from structural issues in schools in England in each year since 2010 broken down by local authority.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of teachers who have taken sickness absence due to an injury as a result of a significant structural issue at a school in each year since 2010.

Nick Gibb: Responsibility for ensuring the safety and condition of school buildings lies with the responsible bodies, such as Local Authorities, trusts, and voluntary aided bodies.The Department provides support to schools and responsible bodies, and has allocated over £13 billion since 2015 for keeping schools safe and operational, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year, informed by consistent data on the school estate. In addition, the Department’s School Rebuilding Programme will transform 500 schools over the next decade, prioritising schools in poor condition.Where the Department is notified of a significant safety issue with a school building, that cannot be managed within local resources, the Department considers additional support on a case by case basis.Responsible bodies are not obliged to report building-related school closures to the Department. Therefore, the Department does not routinely collect or hold complete data of the information requested.As the Department is not the responsible body for the management of the estate or the direct employer of staff, the Department does not routinely hold information on any sickness, absences, or compensation paid in relation to structural issues.

Sign Language: Education

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the accessibility of British Sign Language classes for the parents of deaf children and children with hearing loss.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has plans to support the parents of deaf children and children with hearing loss to learn British Sign Language and other forms of non-verbal communication.

Claire Coutinho: Funding is available through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) for qualifications in or focussing on British Sign Language (BSL) up to and including Level 2. These qualifications include, for example, the Level 1 Award in BSL which allows learners to communicate in BSL on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use, thereby giving them the basic skills and confidence in production and reception of BSL.About 60% of the AEB has been devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority, who determine which provision to fund for learners who live in their areas. The Education and Skills Funding Agency provides the remaining funding for learners who live in non-devolved areas. Where community learning providers offer BSL courses, those providers are responsible for determining the course fees, including levels of fee remission.For some BSL courses, Adult Learner Loans (ALLs) are available, and parents can find more information about which qualifications are eligible on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.qualifications.education.gov.uk/Search.. More general information about the provision of ALLs is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan.For parents learning BSL on an AEB funded course, there is additional support available. The AEB provides funding to colleges and providers to help adult learners overcome barriers to accessing learning. Providers have discretion to help learners meet costs such as transport, accommodation, books, equipment, and childcare. Learning support funding also helps colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and disabilities and the costs of reasonable adjustments as set out in the Equality Act 2010.More broadly, the department is committed to ensuring that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those who use BSL, receive the support they need to achieve in their early years, at school, and in further education settings. This is why every local authority provides specialist support services for hearing impaired children. It is also why there are legal duties on a local authority to keep under review the educational, training, and social care provision made for children and young people who have SEND.

Hearing Impairment: Teachers

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the numbers of Teachers of the Deaf.

Claire Coutinho: I refer the hon. Member for Norwich North to the answer I gave on 3 February 2022 to Question 136794. .

Secure Accommodation

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications for children to be received into secure children’s homes were made in each year since 2010.

Claire Coutinho: A breakdown of the number of referrals relating to welfare placements per year received since the Secure Welfare Coordination Unit (SWCU) was created has been provided below. The SWCU is a small unit grant funded by the department for the purposes of administering placements and collecting data on secure welfare, created in 2016.2021: 419 referrals2020: 420 referrals2019: 492 referrals2018: 471 referralsJune 2016 - May 2017: 569 referralsThis data relates to secure welfare placements only. An annual breakdown of the number of new admissions into secure for children sentenced or remanded by a criminal court has been included in attached table. Number of new admissions for children (xlsx, 25.1KB)

Childcare: Costs

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effect of (a) the cost of childcare for families and (b) the number of parents not in work due to the affordability of childcare on the economy.

Claire Coutinho: The most recent Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents provides some data on the cost of childcare and families. Almost three in five (56%) parents who paid for childcare in 2021 said it was easy or very easy to meet their childcare costs, a rise from 52% in 2018.The department continues to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and to encourage families to use the government-funded support they are entitled to. In England, we have spent over £3.5 billion in each of the past three years on our early education entitlements to support families with the cost of childcare.In the 2021 Spending Review, the department announced additional funding of £160 million in 2022/23, £180 million in 2023/24 and £170 million in 2024/25, compared to the 2021/22 financial year. This is for local authorities to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers, reflecting cost pressures and changes in the number of eligible children anticipated at the time of the spending review.For the 2023/24 financial year, we will invest an additional £20 million into early years funding, on top of the additional £180m for 2023/24. This will help support providers at a national level with the additional National Living Wage costs associated with delivering the free childcare entitlements next year.In July 2022, the department announced measures to increase take-up of childcare support to ensure that families can access government support to save them money on their childcare bills. This included our Childcare Choices communications campaign to ensure every parent knows about the government funded support they are eligible for.We do not hold the data on the number of parents unable to work due to the cost of childcare.

Pupils: Bullying and Suicide

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the extent of (a) bullying and (b) consequent suicide of pupils in schools.

Claire Coutinho: Every suicide is a tragedy. Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, including suicide prevention, is a government priority. The department is committed to ensuring schools and colleges are safe, calm and supportive learning environments, where bullying is actively prevented. Schools and colleges should also promote mental wellbeing and provide early, targeted support to prevent the onset and progression of mental health problems.It is important to recognise that suicide is complex and rarely due to one factor. However, there is strong evidence in the wider academic literature for a causal link between being a victim of bullying, and experiencing negative mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, self-harm, and psychotic experiences in both adolescence and throughout adult life. In February 2022, 15% of secondary pupils (years 7 to 13) self-reported that they had been bullied in the past 12 months.The analysis of The National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) data on child deaths between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020, for which the child death reviews have been completed, shows that of the 91 deaths categorised as ‘Suicide or deliberate self-inflicted harm’ (excluding substance misuse related deaths), at least 21 (23%) had experienced either face to face or cyber bullying.The department’s ‘Behaviour in Schools’ Guidance states that all schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines measures to encourage good behaviour and prevent all forms of bullying amongst pupils. This should be communicated to all pupils, school staff and parents. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1101597/Behaviour_in_schools_guidance_sept_22.pdf.The department is providing over £2 million of funding, between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2023, to five anti-bullying organisations to support schools to tackle bullying. This includes projects targeting bullying of particular groups, such as those who are victims of hate-related bullying.

Secure Accommodation: Location

Ellie Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average distance is for a child residing in a secure children's home between that home and their previous address.

Claire Coutinho: Neither the department or the Secure Welfare Coordination Unit publishes data relating to the average distance for a child residing in a secure children's home (SCH) via the welfare route, between that home and their previous address. For children who have been sentenced or remanded, the average distance from home to the secure children home has been provided below.Average distance from home, November 2022Distance from Home (miles) Mean53.8 Median42.0 Data source: Further breakdown of the Youth Custody Population Report: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/youth-custody-data.These figures are a monthly snapshot of the custodial population, taken on the last day of the month. To note that the data for November 2022 is provisional.Distance is measured in miles and is the direct geographical distance between the child or young person’s home to establishment.

Childcare

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government remain committed to extending free childcare support for three and four-year-olds to 50 hours per week.

Claire Coutinho: All parents of three and four year olds are eligible for 15 hours of free early education over 38 weeks of the year. An additional 15 hours free childcare, also known as 30 hours free childcare, is available for working parents who earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at national minimum/living wage and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year. In a two-parent family both parents must meet these thresholds, unless one partner receives certain benefits. In a single-parent household the single parent must meet these income thresholds. The department has never made a commitment to extend free childcare to 50 hours a week. We are, however, looking into options to improve the cost, flexibility and availability of childcare.

Academies

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 147 of the white paper Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child, CP650, published on 28 March 2022, whether it remains her Department's policy for all state schools to be in or to be joining a strong academy trust by 2030.

Nick Gibb: The Department is focused on continuing to improve standards in schools, providing the best education for children, including for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and with special educational needs. The best way for this to happen is for all schools to be in strong families of schools, benefitting from the support of the best in the group, and the resilience that comes from being part of a larger group of schools. That is why, over time, the Department would like all schools to be in a strong multi-academy trust, because we see the positive impact it can have on children’s lives. If we get this right then we will see the vast majority of schools in trusts before 2030. The Department is exploring how to further support the growth of strong multi-academy trusts through the Regulation and Commissioning Review.

Schools: Keighley

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Keighley constituency had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received funding and (ii) are expected to receive funding in the next two years from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in Scunthorpe constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in Sedgefield constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in South Swindon constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in Warrington South constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in Watford constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in Wycombe constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in York Outer constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Norwich North constituency had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D, when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) are expected to receive in the next two years, funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Stoke-on-Trent Central constituency had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D, when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received funding and (ii) are expected to receive funding in the next two years from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Stroud constituency had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D, when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received funding and (ii) are expected to receive funding in the next two years from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Telford constituency had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D, when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received funding and (ii) are expected to receive funding in the next two years from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Thurrock constituency had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D, when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received funding and (ii) are expected to receive funding in the next two years from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Worcester constituency had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D, when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received funding and (ii) are expected to receive funding in the next two years from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Nick Gibb: The Condition Data Collection (CDC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK’s public sector. It collected data on the building condition of government funded schools in England. It provides a robust evidence base to enable the Department to target capital funding for maintaining and rebuilding school buildings.The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.Individual CDC reports have been shared with every school and their responsible body to use alongside their existing condition surveys to plan maintenance schedules and investment plans. The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. The Department is still preparing the data and will publish it as soon as possible.Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Our funding is directed both to maintaining the condition of the school estate and rebuilding schools. The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year.The ten year School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is condition led. 400 of the 500 available places on the programme have been provisionally allocated. A list of these schools and the methodology used to select them is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.The following table shows the constituencies specified that have schools or colleges selected for SRP:Parliamentary constituency Schools selected for SRPKeighleyIlkley Grammar School, announced July 2022SedgefieldSugar Hill Primary School, announced July 2021 Woodham Academy, announced July 2021 Ferryhill Station Primary School, announced July 2022South SwindonLawn Manor Academy, announced December 2022 Wroughton Infant School, announced December 2022Warrington SouthPenketh High School, announced July 2022WycombeSt Michael's Catholic School, announced December 2022York OuterHempland Primary School, announced July 2021Norwich NorthFirside Junior School, announced July 2021 Angel Road Infant School, announced December 2022StroudThomas Keble School, announced February 2021 The 239 schools announced in December 2022 will enter delivery at a rate of approximately 50 per year, over a five year period from 2023. The Department is currently undertaking due diligence on these schools prior to scheduling them, with schools prioritised according to the condition of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. The scope and funding for each project will be confirmed following detailed feasibility studies and condition surveys of buildings.Where a school identifies significant safety issues with a building, that cannot be managed within local resources, the Department considers additional support on a case-by-case basis. This includes applications for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) from eligible institutions. Schools eligible for Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) can apply for UCS where there are urgent health and safety issues that threaten school closure and cannot wait until the next CIF bidding round.

Schools: Washington and Sunderland West

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in Washington and Sunderland West constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in Warwick and Leamington constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in Portsmouth South constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in Stockport constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Nick Gibb: The Condition Data Collection (CDC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK’s public sector. It collected data on the building condition of government funded schools in England. It provides a robust evidence base to enable the Department to target capital funding for maintaining and rebuilding school buildings.The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.Individual CDC reports have been shared with every school and their responsible body to use alongside their existing condition surveys to plan maintenance schedules and investment plans. The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. The Department is still preparing the data and will publish it as soon as possible.Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Our funding is directed both to maintaining the condition of the school estate and rebuilding schools. The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year.The ten year School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is condition led. 400 of the 500 available places on the programme have been provisionally allocated. A list of these schools and the methodology used to select them is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.The following table shows the constituencies specified that have schools or colleges selected for the SRP:Parliamentary constituency Schools selected for SRPWarwick and LeamingtonSt Peter's Catholic Primary School (announced December 2022)The 239 schools announced in December 2022 will enter delivery at a rate of approximately 50 per year, over a five year period from 2023. The Department is currently undertaking due diligence on these schools prior to scheduling them, with schools prioritised according to the condition of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. The scope and funding for each project will be confirmed following detailed feasibility studies and condition surveys of buildings.Where a school identifies significant safety issues with a building, that cannot be managed within local resources, the Department considers additional support on a case-by-case basis. This includes applications for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) from eligible institutions. Schools eligible for Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) can apply for UCS where there are urgent health and safety issues that threaten school closure and cannot wait until the next CIF bidding round.

Knives: Crime

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help educate young people about knife crime.

Nick Gibb: The Department works across Government to support all young people to lead happy, healthy and safe lives, and to foster respect for others.The statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education contains content that can help address the underlying causes of gun and knife crime. This includes references to situations that often lead young people to carry weapons, such as criminal exploitation though involvement in gangs and county lines drugs operations. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.Gun and knife crime can also be taught as part of a school’s wider curriculum. Schools can choose to include lessons on weapons awareness and gangs as part of their personal, social, health and economic education or citizenship curriculum.The Department works across Government on wider initiatives to prevent serious violence. As part of the cross Government Beating Crime Plan, the Department has worked with other government departments to make over £45 million available to fund specialist support in mainstream and alternative provision schools in the areas where serious violence like knife crime most affects young people.One cross government project that the Department is implementing is the Alternative Provision Specialist Taskforces (APST). This places multidisciplinary taskforces of specialists, including speech and language therapists, youth workers, family support workers, and mental health workers in schools in 22 areas where serious violence is most prevalent. The Department works closely with cross Government partners, including the Youth Justice Board and NHS England to deliver the APST programme, including the placement of their frontline specialists in schools.The Department continues to work with other departments and stakeholders on curriculum content and will be reviewing the statutory guidance this year, looking at areas of the guidance that need to be strengthened.

Schools: Ventilation

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of installing ventilation, filtration and sterilisation systems in schools to help reduce the transmission of airborne pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2.

Nick Gibb: Helping schools have healthy school environments with good ventilation is a priority for the Department. Letting fresh air into indoor spaces can help remove air that contains virus particles and other airborne contaminants and is important in reducing the spread of airborne infections, including COVID-19 and flu. Good ventilation is also associated with improved alertness and concentration.Over the last two years, the Department has provided CO2 monitors to every state-funded school in England to help identify poorly ventilated spaces across their estates and help manage the need for ventilation and thermal comfort. Feedback suggests that, in most settings, existing ventilation measures are sufficient. For the very few teaching spaces where maintaining good ventilation is not possible, the Department has supplied HEPA air cleaning units. All eligible applications received during the previous roll out have been fulfilled and we are current working through this year’s applications. Air cleaning units are not a substitute for ventilation and are not necessary in spaces that are adequately ventilated.The Department has published guidance in the Building Bulletin 101 (BB101), which provides guidelines on indoor and outdoor air quality in new and refurbished schools: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings. BB101 guidance promotes best practice in controlling pollutants and setting maximum standards for levels of pollutants in indoors.

Financial Services: Education

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the level of regional disparities in access to financial education.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that all children in secondary schools receive financial education.

Nick Gibb: Financial education forms part of the citizenship National Curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4, which is a statutory subject for Local Authority maintained schools, but can be taught by academies. Through citizenship, secondary school pupils are taught about income and expenditure, credit and debt, insurance, savings and pensions, financial products and services, and how public money is raised and spent.The mathematics curriculum includes a strong emphasis on the essential arithmetic that primary pupils should be taught. A strong grasp of mathematics will underpin pupils’ ability to manage budgets and money, including, for example, using percentages. The secondary mathematics curriculum develops pupils’ understanding in relation to more complex personal finance issues such as calculating loan repayments, interest rates and compound interest.My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, has set out a new mission to ensure all pupils study some form of mathematics to age 18. Studying mathematics to 18 will equip young people with the quantitative and statistical skills that they will need for the jobs of today and the future. This includes having the right skills to feel confident with finances in later life, including finding the best mortgage deal or savings rate.The Government is not planning to make an assessment of access to financial education in each region. The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) has a statutory objective to develop and co-ordinate a national strategy to improve people’s financial capabilities. The strategy is supported by Delivery Plans for each nation of the UK and further details can be found here: https://www.maps.org.uk/uk-strategy-for-financial-wellbeing/.As part of this, MaPS has published guidance to support head teachers to enhance their financial education provision, which is available here: https://maps.org.uk/2021/11/11/financial-education-guidance-for-primary-and-secondary-schools-in-england/.The Department and MaPS are planning a series of joint financial education webinars during this academic year, aimed at promoting the importance of financial education, improving pupils’ knowledge and teachers’ confidence.

Schools: Brighton Kemptown

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in Brighton Kemptown constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in Birkenhead constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Nick Gibb: The Condition Data Collection (CDC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK’s public sector. It collected data on the building condition of government funded schools in England. It provides a robust evidence base to enable the Department to target capital funding for maintaining and rebuilding school buildings. The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf. Individual CDC reports have been shared with every school and their responsible body to use alongside their existing condition surveys to plan maintenance schedules and investment plans. The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. The Department is still preparing the data and will publish it as soon as possible. Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Our funding is directed both to maintaining the condition of the school estate and rebuilding schools. The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year. The ten year School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is condition led. 400 of the 500 available places on the programme have been provisionally allocated. A list of these schools and the methodology used to select them is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme. Of the 400 so far selected, none are in Birkenhead or Brighton Kemptown constituencies. The 239 schools announced in December 2022 will enter delivery at a rate of approximately 50 per year, over a five year period from 2023. The Department is currently undertaking due diligence on these schools prior to scheduling them, with schools prioritised according to the condition of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. The scope and funding for each project will be confirmed following detailed feasibility studies and condition surveys of buildings. Where a school identifies significant safety issues with a building, that cannot be managed within local resources, the Department considers additional support on a case-by-case basis. This includes applications for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) from eligible institutions. Schools eligible for Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) can apply for UCS where there are urgent health and safety issues that threaten school closure and cannot wait until the next CIF bidding round.

Primary Education: Physical Education and Sports

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to announce details on the PE and sport premium for primary schools for 2023-24.

Nick Gibb: I refer the hon. Member for Portsmouth South to the answer I gave to Question 122258 on 20 January 2023.

Schools: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in (a) York Central constituency and (b) York had at least one construction element in (a) condition grade C and (b) condition grade D when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have already received funding from the School Rebuilding Programme and (ii) are expected to receive funding from the School Rebuilding Programme in the next two years.

Andrew Western: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Stretford and Urmston constituency had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D, when that data was collated; and which of those schools have (i) received and (ii) are expected to receive funding from the School Rebuilding Programme in the next two years.

Nick Gibb: The Condition Data Collection (CDC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK’s public sector. It collected data on the building condition of government funded schools in England. It provides a robust evidence base to enable the Department to target capital funding for maintaining and rebuilding school buildings.The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.Individual CDC reports have been shared with every school and their responsible body to use alongside their existing condition surveys to plan maintenance schedules and investment plans. The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. The Department is still preparing the data and will publish it as soon as possible.Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Our funding is directed both to maintaining the condition of the school estate and rebuilding schools. The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year.The ten year School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is condition led. 400 of the 500 available places on the programme have been provisionally allocated. A list of these schools and the methodology used to select them is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.The following table shows the constituencies specified that have schools or colleges selected for the SRP:Parliamentary constituency Schools selected for SRPStretford and UrmstonSt John Vianney School, announced February 2021 St Ann's RC Primary School, announced July 2021 Barton Clough Primary School, announced December 2022 Stretford Grammar School, announced December 2022York CentralTang Hall Primary Academy, announced July 2021 All Saints RC School, announced December 2022 There is one additional school in York local authority, Hempland Primary School, announced July 2021 The 239 schools announced in December 2022 will enter delivery at a rate of approximately 50 per year, over a five year period from 2023. The Department is currently undertaking due diligence on these schools prior to scheduling them, with schools prioritised according to the condition of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. The scope and funding for each project will be confirmed following detailed feasibility studies and condition surveys of buildings.Where a school identifies significant safety issues with a building, that cannot be managed within local resources, the Department considers additional support on a case-by-case basis. This includes applications for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) from eligible institutions. Schools eligible for Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) can apply for UCS where there are urgent health and safety issues that threaten school closure and cannot wait until the next CIF bidding round.

Schools: Bristol East

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in Bristol East constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive funding in the next two years from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools had at least one construction element in condition grade (a) C and (b) D in Feltham and Heston constituency when that data was collated; and which of those schools (i) have received and (ii) expect to receive in the next two years funding from the School Rebuilding Programme.

Nick Gibb: The Condition Data Collection (CDC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK’s public sector. It collected data on the building condition of government funded schools in England. It provides a robust evidence base to enable the Department to target capital funding for maintaining and rebuilding school buildings.The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.Individual CDC reports have been shared with every school and their responsible body to use alongside their existing condition surveys to plan maintenance schedules and investment plans. The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. The data is being prepared and will be published as soon as possible.Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Our funding is directed both to maintaining the condition of the school estate and rebuilding schools. The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year.The ten year School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is condition led. 400 of the 500 available places on the programme have been provisionally allocated. A list of these schools and the methodology used to select them is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.The following table shows the constituencies specified that have schools or colleges selected for the SRP:Parliamentary constituency Schools selected for SRPFeltham and HestonRivers Academy West London, announced July 2022 St Mark's Catholic School, announced December 2022The 239 schools announced in December 2022 will enter delivery at a rate of approximately 50 per year, over a five year period from 2023. The Department is currently undertaking due diligence on these schools prior to scheduling them, with schools prioritised according to the condition of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. The scope and funding for each project will be confirmed following detailed feasibility studies and condition surveys of buildings.Where a school identifies significant safety issues with a building, that cannot be managed within local resources, the Department considers additional support on a case-by-case basis. This includes applications for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) from eligible institutions. Schools eligible for Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) can apply for UCS where there are urgent health and safety issues that threaten school closure and cannot wait until the next CIF bidding round.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Members: Correspondence

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to respond to correspondence of (a) 8 September 2022, (b) 10 October 2022, (c) 31 October 2022, (d) 1 December 2022 and (e) 15 December from the Hon. member for Basildon and Billericay on a constituent, reference MC2022/17880 and JB38817.

Rebecca Pow: I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member. A reply has been sent to the hon. Member today.

Poultry: Animal Housing

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the (a) Welsh Government, (b) Scottish Government and (c) Northern Ireland Executive on the use of cages for laying hens.

Mark Spencer: The Secretary of State has regular meetings with counterparts in the Devolved Administrations to discuss a range of issues including the use of cages for laying hens.

Animal Welfare: Fish Farming

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Animal Welfare Committee will update its 2014 Opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing.

Mark Spencer: We expect to receive the Animal Welfare Committee’s updated opinion on the welfare of farmed fish at the time of killing by the end of March this year.

Game: Birds

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of available data on the (a) number of gamebirds released and (b) number and locations of release sites for (i) effectively assessing and controlling the spread of diseases from gamebirds to wildlife and (ii) monitoring of other environmental impacts of gamebird releases.

Mark Spencer: There are currently no plans to undertake an assessment of the adequacy of available data on gamebirds.

Foie Gras and Furs: Imports

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it remains her policy to ban the import of (a) foie gras and (b) fur.

Mark Spencer: The Government has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. We are in the process of considering further steps that could be taken in relation to foie gras and we have been gathering information and evidence to inform our approach. We have committed to explore potential action in relation to animal fur, as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare and have since conducted a Call for Evidence on the fur sector along with other forms of engagement with interested parties. We are continuing to build our evidence base on the fur sector, which will be used to inform any future action on the fur trade.

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which operator offered the lowest guaranteed minimum number of hours on a Seasonal Worker visa in the latest period for which data is available; and how many hours they offered.

Mark Spencer: The guaranteed minimum number of hours offered by the Seasonal Worker visa operators, and how many hours they offered, is commercially sensitive data. There are no zero hour contracts.

Neonicotinoids

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will reassess the threshold required for an exemption to be applied to the current ban on neonicotinoid pesticides.

Mark Spencer: All decisions on the authorisation of pesticides are taken within the strict legal framework provided by retained EU legislation. This includes the recent emergency authorisation allowing the limited and controlled use of a neonicotinoid seed treatment on the 2023 sugar beet crop. The legal tests for emergency authorisation, the consideration given to each and the resulting decision are detailed in documents published on gov.uk. The advice regarding the threshold is based on an established model, led by scientific evidence from the Rothamsted Institute.

Pesticides: EU Law

Ian Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to require Ministers to allow parliamentary scrutiny of exemptions applied to use of pesticides currently forbidden by retained EU legislation, such as neonicotinoids.

Mark Spencer: All decisions on the authorisation of pesticides are taken within the legal framework provided by retained EU legislation. This includes the recent emergency authorisation allowing the limited and controlled use of a neonicotinoid seed treatment on the 2023 sugar beet crop. The legal tests for emergency authorisation, the consideration given to each and the resulting decision are detailed in documents published on GOV.UK.

Conservation Areas

Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) protect and (b) expand England's protected landscapes.

Trudy Harrison: We have recently set out in our Environmental Improvement Plan that we will protect our protected landscapes by investing in a new National Landscapes Partnership, developing a Protected Landscapes outcomes framework, providing guidance to strengthen Protected Landscapes’ management plans and issuing guidance on the strengthened biodiversity duty. We will extend our protected landscapes by continuing assessments to designate two new AONBs and two AONB extensions and using the All-England mapping tool to identify landscapes to improve nature and access.

Recycling

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what are the current recycling rates in (a) the UK, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Bosworth constituency; and if she will make a comparative assessment of recycling rates in Leicestershire and other counties.

Rebecca Pow: The UK harmonised recycling rate for local authority collected ‘waste from households’ was 44.4% in 2020. In 2020-21, the 'household' recycling rate for Leicestershire County Council was 43.3%, and for Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council was 44.8%. However please note that as they are measured differently, the harmonised measure and local recycling rates are not directly comparable.

Air Pollution: Pollution Control

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to Answer to the Question from the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion at Prime Minister's Questions on 1 February 2023, Official Report, column 338, on what evidential basis he stated that the measures the Government is putting in place to improve air quality are world leading.

Rebecca Pow: Emissions of key pollutants have fallen significantly since 2010, with nitrogen dioxide down by 44%, sulphur dioxide down by 70% and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) down 18%. But there is more to do. The UK has a proud history of global leadership on air quality, from co-founding the UNECE Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution in 1979, to co-chairing the new Forum for International Co-operation on Air Pollution. We have used these fora to drive reductions in global transboundary air pollution, and to share our science and policy expertise. Domestically we are taking world-leading action on air quality, including by: - being the first G7 country to announce it will phase out the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, and that from 2035, all new cars and vans must be zero emissions at the tailpipe. The Government has already spent over £2 billion to support the transition to zero emission vehicles.- setting an innovative population exposure reduction target under the Environment Act 2021, which will, on average, reduce people’s exposure to PM2.5 by over a third by 2040 compared to 2018, supported by an expansion of the national monitoring network to add over 100 new PM2.5 monitors across England by the end of 2027;- speeding up the deployment of clean and renewable technologies such as solar and wind – where the UK is already a world leader in offshore generation. The transition towards these forms of energy generation will have significant air quality co-benefits.- continuing to deliver the measures set out in our Clean Air Strategy. We have built on these measures in our recently published Environmental Improvement Plan.

Air Pollution

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has held discussions with Asthma UK on air pollution since her appointment.

Rebecca Pow: The Secretary of State has not held discussions with Asthma UK on air pollution since her appointment. However, Asthma + Lung UK (formerly Asthma UK) participate in the steering group for the Air Quality Information System (AQIS) review. This is a comprehensive review of how we communicate air quality information to ensure that members of the public and vulnerable groups have the information they need protect themselves.

Convention on Biological Diversity

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to deliver the global deal for nature agreed at the UN Nature Summit in Montreal domestically.

Trudy Harrison: The UK played a central role in agreeing the ambitious global deal for nature COP15, including the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Setting a clear mission to halt and reverse biodiversity loss globally by 2030, the commitments expected under its 23 targets, notably to protect 30% of global land and 30% of global ocean by 2030, to end human induced-species extinctions of known threatened species by 2030, alongside the package of international nature finance agreed to support its implementation – put us on the path to nature recovery.   We have set out our plan to deliver on these ambitious targets, along with our other environmental targets, in the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) 31 January 2023. This is our key plan, setting out the concrete actions we will take in England to meet our national targets and contribute to the global goals and targets. In due course, in collaboration with other devolved nations in the UK where necessary, we will publish the required standardised table showing how our national targets align with the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. This is also supported by the legally binding domestic targets, now set under the Environment Act 2021.

Livestock Worrying

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidents of livestock worrying by dogs were (a) reported, (b) investigated and (c) resulted in charges in England in 2022.

Mark Spencer: The Government takes the issue of livestock worrying very seriously, recognising the distress this can cause farmers and animals, as well as the financial implications. Individual police forces record the number of incidents of livestock worrying per year and Defra does not hold a central record.

Water Charges

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with OFWAT on a cap to the proposed increase in water bills.

Rebecca Pow: Ofwat, as the independent regulator, sets an overall cap on the total amount that each water company may recover from their customers, through a 5 yearly process called the Price Review. This aims to ensure value for money in water company investments, including across increasing water resources, tackling leaks and environmental improvements. For the current price review period, the bills are capped until 31 March 2025. However, the charges each year can be adjusted for specific factors, such as inflation. In October 2022, Ofwat and the Consumer Council for Water wrote to all water companies asking them to consider the challenges households are facing when setting their charges. We welcome the action undertaken by them to encourage water companies to share good practice on improving awareness of, and access to support measures for customers who may struggle with their bills

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Broadband: Prices

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of increases in the price of broadband packages on the ability of people to access essential online services.

Paul Scully: We recognise that this is clearly a difficult time for families up and down the country who are struggling to pay their bills as a result of the global rise in the cost of living.On 23 January, the former Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport met with Chief Executives from major broadband providers at which she asked them to consider carefully the need, at this time, for above inflation price increases and highlighted the impact they may have on those already struggling to pay their bills.My department has also negotiated a range of high-quality, low-cost broadband social tariffs for households in receipt of Universal Credit and other means tested benefits from as little as £12 per month. These are available in 99% of the UK and may represent a 50% saving from the average-priced broadband package.Ofcom, the independent regulator, has a statutory duty to assess the affordability in the telecoms market. My department engages regularly with them on matters relating to the affordability of broadband and other telecoms services.We encourage anyone who is struggling to afford their broadband service to contact their supplier and see what support is available.

Broadband: Prices

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on the affordability of broadband and increased network service prices in 2022-23.

Paul Scully: Ofcom, the independent regulator, has a statutory duty to monitor the affordability in the telecoms market. My department engages regularly with them on matters relating to the affordability of broadband and other telecoms services.With regards to network service prices, DCMS engages regularly with Ofcom on matters associated with the wholesale market. Openreach’s prices are regulated by Ofcom as part of its five-year Wholesale Fixed Telecoms Market Review (WFTMR) process, and have been allowed to increase by CPI in order to reflect the significant additional costs faced when deploying new physical infrastructure.We recognise that this is clearly a difficult time for families up and down the country who are struggling to pay their bills as a result of the global rise in the cost of living.On 23 January, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport met with Chief Executives from major broadband and mobile providers at which she asked them to consider carefully the need, at this time, for above inflation price increases and highlighted the impact they may have on those already struggling to pay their bills.

ICT: Vacancies

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the (a) number of vacancies and (b) level of skills within the (i) IT programming, (ii) IT hardware and network engineering, (iii) cybersecurity and (iv) data analysis sectors.

Paul Scully: DCMS publishes rolling employment estimates for DCMS sectors. As of 2021, the Digital sector was made up of 1.8 million filled jobs, an increase of 108 thousand (6.3%) compared to the previous calendar year and 249 thousand (16.0%) since 2019. DCMS also published an assessment of the UK’s regional digital ecosystems, which has information on digital occupations and skills gaps for each UK region.IT programmingConsistent with the trend of previous years, in 2021, employment growth in the Digital Sector was particularly driven by the “IT, software and computer services” (960 thousand filled jobs) and “Computer programming, consultancy and related activities” (967 thousand filled jobs). Within the “IT, software and computer services” sub-sector, employment increased by 88 thousand filled jobs, while the same increase stood at 82 thousand within the “Computer programming, consultancy and related activities” sub-sector. There were over 94k vacancies in total for Software, Java, Full stack and Front-end developers in 2022 (People and Skills report, 2022). Burning glass found that programming skills are not required in isolation. In IT roles, 25% of the skills required are employability skills, such as communication, teamwork, and problem solving.IT hardware and network engineeringEngineering and security are in the top five most required skills for tech vacancies in 2021 (People and Skills report, 2022). The percentage of businesses in the ‘manufacturing and electronics and computers’ sub-sector with at least one skills gap in their workforce was estimated to be 17.4% (DCMS sector skills shortages and skills gaps). The highest number of network engineering vacancies advertised in 2019/ 2020 was in the South East England (12.6K) followed by South West England (5.6K), West Midlands (5.4K) and East of England (4.3K) (UK’s regional digital ecosystems). The percentage of ‘telecoms’ companies with at least one skills gap in their workforce was estimated to be 9.1% (DCMS sector skills shortages and skills gaps).CybersecurityThe DCMS-commissioned 2022 cyber security labour market survey estimates the cyber security sector requires approximately 21,600 individuals per year to meet demand. Around 7,500 individuals entered the cyber workforce in 2021, suggesting an annual shortfall of around 14,100. Increasing the number of people with good cyber security skills is a key objective in the government's £2.6 billion National Cyber Strategy.Data analysisDCMS analysis published in 2021 found that UK businesses were recruiting for 178,000 - 234,000 roles that require technical data skills, and almost half (46%) of companies recruiting struggled to fill these roles (Quantifying the UK Data Skills Gap). To assess demand for digital skills, DCMS worked with Burning Glass to develop a skills projections model. This model identifies data analysis as the cluster likely to grow fastest over the next five years. DCMS have rolled out the highly successful pilot of degree conversion courses in data science which aims to widen the pipeline of talent entering the IT sector. The scholarships ensure the AI that is built and used in the UK reflects the needs and make-up of society.

Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if the Authority will publish the findings of the March 2020 Hays recruitment report on comparable job roles and salaries.

Sir Charles Walker: IPSA conducts an external benchmarking exercise on MPs’ staff salaries every three years. In September 2019, Hays conducted a pay and job description review, which IPSA published in March 2020.

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how many meetings the Authority had with staff representative bodies before the announcement of staffing budgets.

Sir Charles Walker: Whilst IPSA cannot enter into formal negotiations that would have any binding effect on the individual decisions of MPs as employers, IPSA is happy to work in any effective way that it can with staff representatives to ensure that their voice is heard, and seen to be heard.IPSA does not set MPs’ staff pay as MPs are the individual employers of their staff as a matter of law. IPSA has, however, proactively sought meetings and discussions with staff representatives and has significantly increased engagement with MPs’ staff over recent years. This has included regular meetings with its MP Staff User Group, joining the House of Commons’ Office Manager group, and through inviting staff representatives, such as Unite, the Members and Peers’ Staff Association (MAPSA), and Wellness Working Group, to IPSA Board meetings to share their insight and views. IPSA has also liaised in recent years with the GMB trade union.IPSA is very grateful for the high volume of valuable feedback it has received through these series of feedback channels. This has enabled IPSA to survey MP staff on casework workload, budgets, and wellbeing, and check in at each House Office Manager meeting, with such engagement valuable to IPSA in proposing a staffing uplift during the covid-19 pandemic and in establishing an exceptional funding process for the pressures created during the Afghan withdrawal in August 2021.In addition to the channels above, direct representations from staff groups were considered as part of the proposals which IPSA made on MPs’ staffing budgets. Specific examples for 2023/24 budgets include meetings with Unite and MAPSA on 26 May, 14 June, and 21 November 2022, and with the GMB union on 16 December.

Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, on what dates the Board is scheduled to meet.

Sir Charles Walker: In 2023, the IPSA Board has scheduled Board meetings on 22 February, 29 March, 28 June, 12 and 13 September, 18 October, and 13 December.

Wales Office

Railways: South Wales

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2023 to Question 133961 on Railways: South Wales, when funding will be made available for the delivery of the South Wales relief line upgrades.

David T C  Davies: The Government will publish an update to the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline as soon as possible to provide clarity on funding for the delivery of rail upgrades in Wales.We are fully committed to rail infrastructure improvement in Wales with recent investment totalling £390m. This is in addition to our recent announcement of £2.7m in funding to develop improvements along the South Wales Main Line in order to ease transport congestion along the South Wales corridor.

Ministry of Justice

Community Orders

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many community sentences have been imposed in each of the last 10 years.

Damian Hinds: I refer the honourable member to the answer given to PQ 125372 on 17 January 2023.

Prison Education Review

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2022 to Question 108299 on Prison Education Review, what criteria are used to define a larger Dynamic Purchasing System contract.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2022 to Question 108299 on Prison Education Review, what additional assurance processes are put in place by the contract management team for larger DPS contracts.

Damian Hinds: There are no formal criteria for distinguishing between larger and smaller Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) contracts. However, those DPS contracts which are delivered on multiple sites and relate to business priority deliverables attract additional assurance activity centrally by the contract management team in the form of checks of the assurance activity that is taking place locally to ensure the contractor is delivering against the DPS contract.

Prisoners: Education

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the recommendations of the Education Select Committee's prison education report of May 2022, what steps he is taking to provide individual learning plans for those in the prison system linked to their sentence plan.

Damian Hinds: We are working to ensure that every prisoner has a Personal Learning Plan.Since April 2019, 35,832 have been created, and we are further developing these plans to bring together key information on the prisoner’s learning and support needs, as well as their aspirations and goals. In this way, we will ensure that everyone working with the prisoner on their education, skills and work pathways is aware of their individual needs.

Prisoners: Learning Disability

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve data collection on the rate of learning disabilities among those in the prison system.

Damian Hinds: The implementation of Personal Learning Plans for all prisoners, together with the introduction, by 2024, of Neurodiversity Support Managers (NSMs) in all English and Welsh prisons, will help us to improve data collection in relation to prisoners who may need support with their learning and development.As of January 2023, 51 NSMs have been recruited, and we are actively championing Autism Accreditation across the prison estate to increase support for neurodivergent people.Since April 2019, 173,885 Learning Difficulties and Disabilities assessments have been conducted, with 91,987 prisoners receiving active support.

Ministry of Justice: Vehicles

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) fossil fuel-, (b) electric- and (c) hybrid-powered road-legal vehicles their Department purchased in the last 24 months.

Mike Freer: In the last 24 months, the Ministry of Justice including HMPPS, HMCTS and Arms-Length Bodies (Office of Public Guardian; Parole Board; YJB; CAFCASS; CICA; CCRC; Legal Ombudsman and Office for Legal Complaints; Legal Services Board; Official Solicitor and Public Trustee; Prisons and Probation Ombudsman; Sentencing council for England and Wales; Judicial Appointment Commission; Law Commission; HM Inspectorate of Probation; Judicial Office; Independent monitoring authority; Govt. Facilities service Ltd; Office for Legal Complaints; Assessor of compensation or miscarriage of justice; Victims Commissioner; Advisory Committee for Justice of Peace; Civil Justice Council; Civil procedure rule committee; Criminal procedure rule committee; Family Justice Council; Family Procedure Council; Independent Advisory Panel on deaths in custody; Insolvency Rules Committee; Prison Service Pay Review; Tribunal Procedure Committee; The Wales Office) has purchased the following road legal vehicles: Type of VehicleTotal purchasedFossil Fuel169Electric14Hybrid Powered28 Vehicle manufacturers are currently unable to offer an electric vehicle that meets with specific requirements needed for specialist vehicles. For example, High security prison vans and National Tactical Response vehicles. However, the Ministry of Justice remains committed to the achievement of government targets across its car and van fleet to be 0 emissions by the end of December 2027.

Legal Aid Scheme: Domestic Abuse

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the scope of legal aid on covering legal representation for individuals and families impacted by domestic abuse in relation to family law cases, including arrangements for children and finances.

Mike Freer: We want to support victims of domestic abuse, for whom legal proceedings can be both traumatic and costly. The scope of legal aid is set out in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. Subject to eligibility criteria and evidence requirements, legal aid is available to domestic abuse victims in private family matters, including child custody cases.We recently laid draft secondary legislation to broaden the evidence requirements for domestic abuse victims applying for legal aid. From 1 March 2023, a letter/report following a telephone or video conference with a GP will now be accepted.Under our plans, domestic abuse victims applying for a protective order or other proceedings would benefit from the more generous means test for civil legal aid. And any disputed assets – including property – will not be included in a means assessment. This is much fairer for domestic abuse victims who are contesting a property and who cannot use their equity in that property to fund the legal proceedings.

Energy: Meters

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department was consulted before the recent advice was issued by the National Leadership Magistrate to magistrates regarding the granting of warrants to force fit prepayment meters.

Mike Freer: The statutory responsibility for issuing guidance to the judiciary is held by the Lord Chief Justice, the Senior President of Tribunals, and the Chief Coroner. To preserve the independence of the judiciary, they are not subject to direction or required to consult the government on the guidance they issue.

Ministry of Justice: Gender

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that data collected by (a) his Department and (b) his Department’s associated arms-length bodies records biological sex as opposed to gender identity.

Mike Freer: To provide a response Ministry of Justice officials would need to ascertain the facts in relation to all steps taken to ensure that data is recorded as biological sex in MoJ HQ and its 34 public bodies, which could only be done at disproportionate cost to the department. The scope of this question covers MoJ and its 34 public bodies. All ALBs do not use the same systems to record biological sex information and it is not known what steps are taken in each ALB to ensure biological sex is recorded, as opposed to gender identity, because this information is not held centrally. To reach a factual conclusion each ALB would need to be investigated to identify and extract all information pertaining to all steps taken to ensure that data collected records biological sex as opposed to gender identity across all records. However, I can confirm that our policy concerning prisons is that transgender prisoners are allocated based on legal gender rather than self-declared gender identity. HMPPS also records the transgender status of every transgender prisoner, meaning that for each we know both their biological sex and their gender identity.

Administration of Justice

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has a definition of (a) justice and (b) the qualities that the administration of justice should possess in order to be effective.

Mike Freer: Justice is an essential public service, relied upon by millions of victims, families and businesses across our country to deliver the justice outcomes that matter; protecting the public, reduce reoffending and deliver swift access to justice. The department’s delivery of these priorities is laid out in the publicly available Outcome Delivery Plan.

Courts

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department takes to ensure that people on low incomes are not denied access to the courts for financial reasons.

Mike Freer: The Ministry of Justice has a fee remission scheme in place called Help with Fees for court or tribunal users who are on low incomes and cannot afford a court fee. This scheme considers several factors including the applicant’s income, savings, the size of the fee and whether they are receiving any benefits. Successful applicants may receive a partial or total remission. Additionally, if the applicant doesn’t qualify for Help with Fees they may ask court staff to exercise the Lord Chancellor's exceptional power to remit fees. This ensures no one is denied access to justice because they can’t afford a court or tribunal fee. Furthermore, we have consulted on changes to the Legal Aid Means Test. The consultation proposed a broad suite of changes to the civil and criminal legal aid means test, with the aim of ensuring access to justice. These included uprating the income and capital thresholds for legal aid eligibility. In particula, we have proposed increasing the lower disposable income threshold for civil legal aid by 97%from £315 to £622 per month – this will particularly help legal aid applicants with the lowest incomes, who are unable to contribute towards their legal aid. Our proposals will significantly increase income thresholds for all types of legal aid. This will ensure that legal aid is accessible to all who need it.

Courts

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made any recent assessment of whether people have unhindered access to the courts of criminal or civil jurisdiction for the determination of disputes as to their legal rights and liabilities.

Mike Freer: Accessible courts and tribunals are an essential part of the justice system. There will always be outstanding cases in the courts as the figures include cases that are being prepared to be heard in the courts. We have removed the limit on sitting days, extended 30 Nightingale courtrooms, and we are extending our plans for judicial recruitment to increase sitting capacity and improve waiting times for victims. To provide additional capacity in the Crown Court, magistrates’ sentencing powers have been extended from 6 to 12 months for a single Triable Either Way offence allowing more cases to be heard in the magistrates' court. We are also taking steps to ensure people receive appropriate support when attending a court or tribunal. In March we published a detailed consultation on legal aid means-testing arrangements. This consultation has now closed, and we are considering responses. We plan to publish a response in early 2023 to set out our final proposals, which will significantly increase income thresholds for all types of legal aid.The Government keeps the scope of civil and family legal aid under constant review. We recently announced expansions in housing and family legal aid, investing £23m to support vulnerable people needing legal assistance.

Administration of Justice

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people have prompt access to justice.

Mike Freer: Access to justice is a fundamental right, and this Government is committed to ensuring that everyone can get the timely support they need to access the justice system. In 2021/22, the Department spent just over £1.6 billion on legal aid to ensure this vital support is accessible. We are also enhancing the breadth of legal support available to people to resolve their legal problems beyond legal aid. Since 2014 we have channelled over £25m of grant funding through not-for-profit organisations who provide advice and support to people facing social welfare legal issues. This funding allowed organisations to invest in remote delivery of support during Covid and hire staff to deal with increases in demand. The government currently funds the Help Accessing Legal Support Grant which is injecting £4.8m into the legal advice sector by July 2023. This is being complemented by a further £1m towards a Cost of Living Fund, administered by the Community Justice Fund. At the end of last year we announced £12m in grant funding for the next two years. This provides clarity and certainty to advice organisations enabling them to plan and resource their services, meaning more people can access the support they need.

Legal Aid Scheme: Disadvantaged

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of potential regional disparities in legal aid provision across England and Wales.

Mike Freer: The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) regularly monitors capacity in the legal aid market and the provision of services and takes immediate action when gaps appear, working with providers to ensure provision nationally. Additionally, legal advice on a range of civil matters including housing, debt, discrimination and education is available, wherever people are, through the Civil Legal Advice telephone service.The LAA has contracts with a range of legal aid providers of varying sizes and capacity to take on new cases. Demand for legal aid services may vary across different categories of law. The LAA will shortly open up a tender to allow additional legal aid providers to bid for a civil legal aid in all categories.The Ministry of Justice continues to consider the long-term sustainability of the criminal and civil legal aid market and are taking a whole system approach to these important issues.Our plans will put criminal legal aid on a sustainable footing and ensure there is a sustainable supply of practitioners. Criminal legal aid spend is expected to increase to £1.2 billion per year, which is the highest level since 2010.We also recently launched a review of civil legal aid to identify evidence-based options which will help inform our longer-term strategy for improving the sustainability and effectiveness of the civil legal aid system.

Legal Profession: Recruitment

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help increase recruitment of underrepresented groups into the legal profession.

Mike Freer: The legal profession in England and Wales is independent of Government. Statutory responsibility for encouraging a diverse legal profession sits with the approved regulators, overseen by the oversight regulator, the Legal Services Board (LSB). The LSB has a broad programme of work aimed at encouraging a diverse workforce, including guidance for legal services regulators, research on the experiences of legal professionals from different backgrounds and initiatives designed to address counter-inclusive practices that act as barriers to recruitment, retention and progression. The LSB will consult on updated expectations for regulators on their approach to equality, diversity and inclusion. The Government’s response to the recommendations of the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review, published in 2022, said that we will explore what can be done to make duty solicitor work easier for those with caring responsibilities to improve the gender balance among duty solicitors. We will also ask the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board to investigate the disparities in income based on gender and race.

Domestic Abuse: Older People

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an estimate of the number of Independent Domestic Violence Advisors who specialise in dealing with cases of domestic abuse experienced by elderly people.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the mechanism for the allocation of specialised Independent Domestic Violence Advisors focused on the abuse of older people and the way it relates to (a) the level of older person-focused abuse and (b) the relative proportion of older people in the local population.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support his Department provides (a) nationally and (b) regionally to Independent Domestic Violence Advisors to help support older people who have been subject to domestic abuse.

Edward Argar: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is using additional ringfenced funding to increase the number of Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) and Independent Sexual Violence Advisers (ISVAs) it funds by 300 to over 1,000 by 2024/2025. For 2022/23, we are providing £34 million of ringfenced funding for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to locally commission IDVAs and ISVAs. It is the responsibility of the PCCs to decide how to target recruitment of specialist IDVAs, including those that support elderly victims, based on their assessment of local need.In addition, the Government is committed to further building capacity in specialist service provision and has launched a £6m Violence Against Women and Girls Support and Specialist Services Fund. The fund is led by the Home Office with a £3m contribution from MoJ for ‘by and for’ services, open to both national and local organisations. ‘By and for’ services are specialist services that are led, designed, and delivered by and for the users and communities they aim to serve. One of the fund’s ambitions is to increase the number of ‘by and for’ IDVAs and ISVAs.The MoJ continually reviews the most effective mechanism for allocating funding for IDVAs and ISVAs.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

Andy Carter: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he is taking steps to help ensure that issues with the supply of liquified petroleum gas do not impact consumers.

Graham Stuart: The supply of liquified petroleum gas remains sufficient to meet demand across the UK. The Department works closely with industry to monitor the liquified petroleum gas supply position throughout the year and to take steps proactively to mitigate any risks that may affect distribution to customers and essential services.

Private Rented Housing: Energy

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he intends to publish the new (a) Energy Performance Certificate, (b) Standard Assessment Procedure and (c) Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for the private rental sector.

Graham Stuart: The Department continues to work closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on progressing the outstanding actions in the EPC Action Plan.The Department has commenced work on developing a future version of SAP, which will be used for building compliance and producing Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). This is expected to come into force in 2025, alongside the Future Homes Standard.In addition the Government has carefully analysed the responses received to the consultation on improving the energy performance of privately rented homes and will publish a response in due course.

British Gas: Meters

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussion he has had with British Gas on the forced instalment of prepayment meters.

Graham Stuart: I met with British Gas and Ofgem to discuss this matter. Ofgem has now issued a Provisional Order, preventing British Gas from installing any more pre-payment meters under warrant. All domestic suppliers have been asked to pause the installation of pre-payment meters under warrant until they have assured Ofgem that they are compliant with all relevant regulations and obligations.

Energy: Meters

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the practice of the forced installation of prepayment meters on vulnerable households.

Graham Stuart: The Government has set out its 5-point plan regarding prepayment meters and Ministers will keep the House updated on its progress. Ofgem have launched a new prepayment meter investigation, in response to the 5-point plan and have now asked suppliers to pause the installation of forced-fitting prepayment meters until they have assured the regulator that they are in compliance with all relevant regulations and obligations.

Shell

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he last met the leadership of Shell Energy.

Graham Stuart: Ministers regularly meet with external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings. The latest published data covers July to September 2022 and further data is due to be published in March. In line with Cabinet Office Guidance organisations are listed instead of individuals.

Energy Bills Rebate: Park Homes

Sir Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of bringing forward the £400 energy support payment for residents of Park Homes to a date before 27 February 2023.

Graham Stuart: Developing and delivering the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) is a complex task, and it is critical that the Government gets it right. There are significant complexities in delivering EBSS AF, which is a novel scheme with a wide variety of eligible groups with different energy arrangements. The Government remains committed to delivering for those households, including park home residents, without a direct relationship to a domestic energy supplier as soon as possible, but we need to ensure consumers are protected, and public money is well spent, including robust verification and anti-fraud checks.

Energy Bills Rebate

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the number of prepayment customers entitled to Energy Bill Support Scheme payments who have not been able to access this support.

Graham Stuart: In the first 3 months of the Energy Bills Support Scheme energy suppliers issued 6,020,560 (99%) vouchers to customers with traditional prepayment meters, of which 4,261,940 (71%) had been redeemed by end December, an increase from 66% in the previous month. Vouchers are valid for 3 months and so the Government expects this figure to rise in the coming months. Full details can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-payments-made-by-electricity-suppliers-to-customers.

Energy Bills Rebate

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps with (a) the Post Office, (b) PayPoint and (c) other organisations to help ensure that prepayment meter users are able to access Energy Bill Support Scheme payments.

Graham Stuart: The Government continues to work with the Post Office and PayPoint, along with suppliers and an extensive range of charities, consumer groups and other stakeholders to communicate the Energy Bills Support Scheme and the importance of customers checking post, emails and text for prepayment meter vouchers and taking action to redeem them. We are issuing further communications including via local networks, community radio, and through material in different languages.

Energy: Meters

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with energy companies on smart meters manufactured by companies based in China.

Graham Stuart: The Government engages with energy suppliers on all aspects of their smart metering roll out - including procurement of smart meters and supply chain management - as part of overseeing and tracking progress on delivery. Energy suppliers generally procure metering assets from a range of manufacturers to ensure they have access to a sufficient supply to meet their roll out targets. The Government has not sought to place geographical restrictions on the manufacture of smart meters but does require each device to require certification under the National Cyber Security Centre’s Commercial Product Assurance Scheme prior to being commissioned for use by energy suppliers, and risk assessment reviews are conducted on a regular basis.

Energy Bills Rebate

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what his planned timetable is for private energy suppliers (a) receiving and (b) disbursing payments to customers under the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding scheme.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) will be delivered by Local Authorities in Great Britain, and a contracted delivery partner in Northern Ireland, rather than private energy suppliers. We are expecting to pay Local Authorities and the contracted delivery partner ahead of scheme launch, or as soon after that as we receive their payment details, which we have requested. The exact date that an eligible household will receive support will depend on when the application is made and when the payment can be processed by the relevant Local Authority.

Energy Bills Rebate

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what information his Department holds on how many (a) private energy suppliers and (b) local authorities are awaiting guidance on administering payments under the Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding scheme.

Graham Stuart: Private energy suppliers will not administer payments for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF). EBSS AF payments will be delivered by 363 Local Authorities across England, Scotland and Wales, and by a contracted delivery partner in Northern Ireland. Guidance will be provided to them this month, ahead of the scheme launch.

Alternative Fuel Payments

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he will extend the £200 Alternative Fuel Payment to all households without a direct relationship to an energy supplier.

Graham Stuart: The Government is not planning to extend the current eligibility of the Alternative Fuel Payment. Every household that does not source its central heating directly from an energy supplier should be benefiting from Government support this winter, either through the benefits of the Energy Price Guarantee or the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, passed through an intermediary, or via the Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund.

Energy Company Obligation: Wales

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on developing a Route 4 Bespoke Targeting Households of the ECO4 Flex scheme.

Graham Stuart: The introduction of a Route 4 Bespoke Targeting mechanism, leading to the ECO4 Order coming into force in July 2022. Route 4 Guidance was published in December. No recent discussions have been held with the Welsh Government on Route 4 of the ECO4 Flex scheme. However, Department officials will be happy to meet with the Welsh Government should they so wish.

Housing Associations: District Heating

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, on what dates Ministers in his Department have met with Housing Associations that administer communal heat networks to discuss the government financial support they have received and pass on to customers.

Graham Stuart: Ministers have not met with housing associations which administer communal networks to discuss the heat network specific support provided under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, however officials have been meeting with these organisations over the past year to discuss the design of the scheme and continue to do so to understand its effectiveness.

Housing: Insulation

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate the Government has made of the workforce that will be required each year on average to retrofit insulation to UK housing stock by 2050 as required in the Government's Net Zero commitment.

Graham Stuart: Analysis carried out by the Construction Industry Training Board in 2021 estimated that the pathway to decarbonising buildings by 2050 would require around 12,000 workers a year to be trained in retrofit skills over the following four years, rising to 30,000 a year in the subsequent five years.

District Heating: Energy Bill Relief Scheme

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the average percentage of the financial support provided to organisations that administer heat networks through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme that has been passed onto their customers.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Prices Act requires eligible heat network operators to pass on discounts from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme to their consumers. Evaluation of the average discount provided to heat network customers is ongoing and we will update the house in due course on when details of the evaluation can be expected.

Housing Associations: District Heating

Ms Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to require Housing Associations that administer communal heat networks to provide accounts to their customers of all deductions and costs that form their bill.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Prices Act requires eligible heat network operators to pass on discounts they receive from the EBRS to their consumers. They will not be required to provide full accounts but they must explain to the customer how the discount amount that they have passed on is just and reasonable and the areas that they can consider are specified in accompanying regulations. We have appointed the Energy Ombudsman as a body that heat network customers in Great Britain can go to this winter if they are concerned that their heat network operator is not meeting the requirements of legislation.

Energy: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department holds information on the number of (a) energy suppliers and (b) contractors hired by energy suppliers undertaking forced installations of prepayment meters; and what recent estimate he has made of the number of households that have had prepayment meters forcibly installed by energy suppliers in the latest period for which data is available.

Graham Stuart: The Government has published a 5-point plan to tackle bad behaviour by energy suppliers. This includes a call for suppliers to stop the practice of forced prepayment switching and look at how else they can support those struggling to pay their bills. The Government has also demanded that suppliers share the number of warrants they’ve applied for in recent months and plans to publish the findings.

Energy Bills Rebate

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2023 to Question 120025 on Energy Bills Rebate, and with reference to the oral statement of the Minister for Energy and Climate his comments of 25 January 2023, Official Report, columns 1026-29, whether details on eligibility for Energy Bill Support Scheme Alternative Funding will be published before the planned opening of the portal for applications on 27 February 2023; whether his Department has issued guidance to local authorities on the scheme's operation; and if he will make a statement.

Graham Stuart: The application portal for EBSS AF will open on the GOV.UK webpage by 27 February and this will include an overview of eligibility and what applicants need to do to apply. Local authorities will be provided with guidance on how to provide this support to eligible households ahead of the launch.

Energy Company Obligation: Wales

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department made of the number of people in Wales who receive (a) Disability Living Allowance or (b) Personal Independence Payment who are also eligible for the ECO4 scheme and do not receive means tested benefits.

Graham Stuart: The Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme is fully focussed on providing support to low income and vulnerable households. Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment in isolation are not eligible ECO4 benefits as they are not means tested. BEIS does not hold benefit recipient-related data. However, Government has expanded and reformed the scheme to include some low-income households not in receipt of means tested benefits who could be vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home. 1.9 million GB householders are assumed to be eligible for support via the Local Authority-led “Flexible Eligibility” element of the scheme (ECO4 Flex). The Government has also introduced a 35% uplift to off-gas rural areas in Wales to incentivise delivery in areas that may be harder to reach.

Energy: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make it his policy to require energy companies to replace prepayment meters that have been forcibly installed with credit meters.

Graham Stuart: The Government has set out its 5-point plan regarding prepayment meters and Ministers will keep the House updated on its progress. Ofgem has launched a new prepayment meter investigation, in response to the 5-point plan: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/letter-jonathan-brearley-secretary-state-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy-tackling-inappropriate-energy-supplier-prepayment-meter-practices. Prepayment meters (PPMs) allow customers to pay for energy on a pay-as-you-go basis and serve an important function by helping the avoidance of debt and court action. Ofgem has stringent rules on the force-fitting of prepayment meters and is responsible for ensuring licensed energy suppliers comply with those rules. Ofgem publishes details of its compliance and enforcement action on its website at: www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-policy-and-regulation/compliance-and-enforcement.

Carbon Emissions: Engineering

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate the Government has made of the number of qualified electrical engineers required to deliver Net Zero by 2050.

Graham Stuart: The electricity network will be a key enabler of a secure, resilient, net zero energy system. The Electricity Networks Strategic Framework published in August 2022 suggests onshore network investment to meet net zero could support 50,000-130,000 FTE jobs across the country by 2050. This mostly covers jobs in network reinforcement projects which includes electrical engineers. The Government’s Green Jobs Delivery Group is a key component in responding to the skills challenge and transition to deliver a green industrial revolution. Having met three times already, the group is the central forum for continued action on green jobs and skills.

Renewable Energy: Manufacturing Industries

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps the Government is taking to secure manufacturing investment in the renewable energy industry to help ensure that the UK remains a competitive market for clean energy investment.

Graham Stuart: Through the Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme, the Government has made funding available to support major port and manufacturing infrastructure. The Government has also announced a £160 million investment scheme to support floating offshore wind port and infrastructure development.

Housing: Energy

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what financial support is available to (a) tenants, (b) landlords and (c) homeowners in the private housing sector to help improve the energy efficiency of their property.

Graham Stuart: The Government is investing £6.6 billion over this Parliament on clean heat and improving energy efficiency in buildings. £6 billion of new Government funding will be made available from 2025 to 2028. The Government has committed to a four-year, £4 billion extension of Energy Company Obligation (ECO) to accelerate efforts to improve homes and a further £1 billon extension of the scheme has been announced through ECO+, starting Spring 2023. The Green Home Finance Accelerator launched in October 2022 making up to £20 million available on a competitive basis, supporting development of innovative green finance products and services, allowing homeowners to meet upfront cost of decarbonising their homes.

Energy: Prices

Taiwo Owatemi: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to compel energy providers to maintain cheaper tariffs, including night rates in the next year.

Graham Stuart: The setting of tariffs is a commercial matter for individual energy suppliers. The Government’s Energy Price Guarantee [EPG] limits the unit price households pay on gas and electricity, including those on tariffs with separate rate for day and night, bringing a typical household’s energy bill in Great Britain down to the equivalent of around £2,500 a year and a saving of £900 this winter. From April 2023, a typical household’s energy bill is expected to be up to £3,000 a year.

Energy: Billing

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to prevent energy companies from building up large amounts of credit in customer accounts as a result of direct debits.

Graham Stuart: According to Ofgem guidance, suppliers should review credit balances every six months to avoid an excessive build-up of credit. Ofgem have conducted a series of Market Compliance Reviews, including on direct debit processes and performance, and has identified areas where suppliers need to improve.Customers can ask their supplier to refund a credit balance at any time. Suppliers must do so promptly unless they have reasonable grounds not to.

Members: Correspondence

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to respond to the letter dated 17 January 2023 from the APPG for Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency on prepayment meters.

Graham Stuart: The Department aims to respond to 80% of correspondence within 15 working days.My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State received the letter of the 17 January from the AAPG for Fuel Poverty and Efficiency on prepayment meters and will reply shortly.

Energy: Investment

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make a comparative assessment of the competitiveness of the (a) UK and (b) EU energy investment environment.

Graham Stuart: The Department considers the impact of international policies on UK investment to ensure the Government meets its net zero and economic growth ambitions.

Energy: Investment

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make a comparative assessment of the competitiveness of the (a) UK and (b) US energy investment environment.

Graham Stuart: The Department considers the impact of international policies on UK investment to ensure the Government meets its net zero and economic growth ambitions.

Heat Pumps: Ceredigion

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2023 to Question 131284 on Heat Pumps: Ceredigion, how many of the (a) 436 air source heat pumps and (b) 53 ground/water source heat pumps were installed in domestic properties that are not connected to mains gas.

Graham Stuart: Of those heat pump installations in domestic properties in Ceredigion, the Department has identified that 407 air source heat pumps and 52 ground/water source heat pumps installed were not in properties connected to mains gas. A list of postcodes that are not connected to the mains gas grid are available here at https://www.xoserve.com/a-to-z/.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether the underspend from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme for the year ending 31 March 2023 will be carried over into the following year’s budget.

Graham Stuart: The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) budget is £450 million, split equally over three financial years (2022-2025). Budget remains available for use in year 1 of the scheme, however we do not expect this to be fully utilised based on latest forecasts. We have explored options to carry over unused budget from year 1 of the scheme, but due to the accounting rules for capital spending schemes we do not expect this to be possible.

Energy: Prices

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant the Answer of 26 January 2023 to Question 126783 on Energy: Prices, if he will publish a list of the stakeholders the Government is holding discussions with.

Graham Stuart: The Government does not routinely disclose details of discussions it has with stakeholders, but officials have already met with, or arranged to meet with, the Regulator, Ofgem, charities and consumer groups, energy suppliers, officials from other Government Departments, academics and representatives of local authorities. Officials are proactively reaching out to, and inviting views from, stakeholders, on the best approach to consumer protection, including options such as social tariffs.

Ofgem: Standards

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment has he made of the effectiveness of Ofgem as a regulator.

Graham Stuart: The energy market is currently facing unprecedented challenges.Ofgem, as the independent regulator, has a vitally important role in protecting the interests of consumers, including the vulnerable. Ofgem recognises how its regulatory approach over the last 18 months has contributed to supplier failure and the related issues within the energy supply market. Ofgem is therefore taking steps to ensure that the supply market is more robust. This includes a package of reforms designed to bolster consumer protection and ensure energy suppliers are more resilient to market shocks.

Energy: Meters

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2023 to Question 130010 on Energy: Meters, where that data will be published; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure publication in a timely manner.

Graham Stuart: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State has called for transparency on this issue and has asked suppliers to share statistics on their use of warrants to install prepayment meters.

Industry: Batteries

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of which UK-based industries, other than wind farms and electric vehicles, are dependent on the supply of lithium-ion batteries.

Graham Stuart: According to projections from a June 2022 report by the Faraday Institution, in 2040 lithium-ion batteries manufactured for private cars and light commercial vehicles will account for around 80% of total UK battery demand, with the remainder manufactured for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), buses, micromobility and grid storage:https://www.faraday.ac.uk/news-ev-battery-prod-2040-update-june2022/.

Batteries: Imports

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the stocks of batteries held by (a) windfarms and (b) other key UK infrastructure in the event of a halt in the export of batteries by a major supplier such as China.

Graham Stuart: Flexibility technologies, including batteries and other electricity storage, are being considered as part of the Government's Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA).

Wind Power: Batteries

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, where the lithium-ion batteries used in UK wind farms are sourced from.

Graham Stuart: The use of large lithium-ion batteries in UK wind farms is limited to wind turbines attached to battery storage facilities or that are involved in the National Grid’s Black Start service. Any UK windfarms that use lithium-ion batteries will source them globally.

Electricity Generation: Renewable Energy

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has taken recent steps to (a) increase the capacity of the electricity network and (b) speed up the connection of renewable energy projects to the national grid.

Graham Stuart: The Government is committed to accelerating the delivery of electricity network infrastructure to accommodate new sources of clean electricity generation and demand, as set out, jointly with Ofgem, in the Electricity Networks Strategic Framework. The British Energy Security Strategy also sets out the Government's ambition to accelerate transmission network infrastructure, including speeding up the planning consents process. The Government is working with Ofgem and network companies to release network capacity and improve the connection process to accelerate connection timescales. Actions include better connection queue management, revised modelling of the network impacts of new connections, and considering longer-term connections reform.

Energy Bills Rebate: Applications

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is planning to open an application process for the Energy Bills Support Scheme - Alternative Funding.

Graham Stuart: The portal for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding is application is scheduled to open no later than 27 February. In addition to this portal, a dedicated customer helpline will be available to assist customers who do not have online access.

Energy Bills Rebate: Landlord and Tenant

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to ensure landlords pass on savings from the Energy Bills Support Scheme to tenants who have no relationship with an energy supplier.

Graham Stuart: Third-party intermediaries, such as landlords, who receive the Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS) must pass that support through to end users, such as tenants, in a just and reasonable way. The Government has introduced regulations to ensure that EBSS support is provided to the people it is designed to help. Further information can be found here.

Warm Home Discount Scheme: Energy Performance Certificates

Darren Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the reliability of the Energy Performance Certificate data being used to decide on eligibility for the Warm Homes Discount.

Graham Stuart: The Government consulted on the reforms to the scheme in summer 2021, which included an assessment of the reliability of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) data. The Government calculates energy cost scores for properties using certain property characteristic data primarily from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) for the purpose of establishing eligibility under the Warm Home Discount. Property characteristics from EPCs are only used at the request of a household when they believe the property characteristics in their EPC are more accurate than those provided by the VOA, or in the minority of cases where VOA data is not available.

Warm Home Discount Scheme: Disability

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to provide additional financial support to disabled people in receipt of Income-related (a) Employment Support Allowance and (b) Personal Independence Payment to help replace the support provided by the one-off Warm Home Discount.

Graham Stuart: The Government has expanded the Warm Home Discount scheme this year, providing £150 rebates to over 3 million households, an increase of 800,000. Energy suppliers can provide additional support to households through the Industry Initiatives element of the scheme, including financial assistance. This support can be provided irrespective of whether a household is eligible for a rebate. The Government is providing additional assistance this winter through the Disability Cost of Living Payments, alongside the Energy Price Guarantee, Energy Bill Support Scheme and other Cost of Living Payments. The Government has also committed to continue Cost of Living payments next winter and is working to develop a new approach to consumer protection in relation to energy, which will apply from April 2024 onwards.

Hospitality Industry: Energy

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of high energy prices on businesses in the hospitality sector.

Graham Stuart: The Government recognises the impact rising energy prices is having on both domestic and non-domestic consumers, including the hospitality sector. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that all eligible businesses, who receive their energy from licensed suppliers, are protected and have support for high energy costs over the winter period. Following a HMT-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme, will run from April until March 2024, and continue to provide a discount to eligible non- domestic customers, including the hospitality sector.

Flour: Energy

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact of increased cost of energy bills on the flour milling industry.

Graham Stuart: The Government recognises how rising energy prices are impacting businesses, including the flour milling industry. The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that all eligible businesses, who receive their energy from licensed suppliers, are protected from high energy costs over the winter period. The HMT-led review into EBRS considered a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence, including input from businesses and stakeholders. The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme, will run from April until March 2024, and continue to provide a discount to eligible non domestic customers.

Hospices: Energy Bills Discount Scheme

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what level of support UK hospices will receive under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.

Graham Stuart: Following an HMT-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will run from April to March 2024 and provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including hospices. A higher rate of support will be provided to those operating within an eligible Energy and Trade Intensive sector. Eligibility for this enhanced support was determined using Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes. The list of eligible sectors is available on Gov.uk. The new scheme strikes a balance between supporting non-domestic customers over the next 12 months and limiting taxpayer’s exposure to volatile energy markets, with a cap of £5.5 billion.

Energy: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when his Department first became aware of the forced instalment by energy companies of energy pre-payment meters.

Graham Stuart: Ofgem’s license conditions currently allow energy suppliers to force fit prepayment meters (PPMs) as a last resort. The Government's 5-point plan on PPMs forms part of a wider effort to ensure that energy users are protected at this challenging time. Additionally, Ofgem has asked suppliers to pause the installation of PPMs under warrant until they have assured Ofgem that they are following all relevant regulations.

Electricity Generation

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the Gibson and Aris report entitled The Future of GB Electricity Supply: Security, Cost and Emissions, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of that report.

Graham Stuart: The Government has launched the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA), which aims to create the market arrangements to deliver the investment needed to decarbonise and find the most cost-effective route to a net zero power sector by 2035. It also aims to ensure electricity supplies as variable renewables make up a larger proportion of the generation mix. The recent consultation closed on the 10th October. The Government is currently analysing responses and aims to publish a response before Spring. This will be followed by a process of developing, refining, and narrowing down options for reform with industry.

Cabinet Office

Ministers: Members' Interests

Angela Rayner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Oral Answer to the Hon. Member for Rhondda of 2 February 2023, Official Report column 453, what steps is he taking to move to more rapid declarations of ministerial interests so that they align more closely with the declarations of Members of Parliament; and will he make a statement.

Jeremy Quin: My right honourable friend, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, responded to a question from the honourable member for Rhondda during Cabinet Office Oral Questions on 2 February 2023 regarding transparency in ministerial interests. A correction to this was identified and a formal request has been sent to the Hansard Editors. I would therefore refer the Rt Hon Lady to the Official Record in due course for the updated wording.

Cabinet Office: Vehicles

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) fossil fuel-, (b) electric- and (c) hybrid-powered road-legal vehicles their Department purchased in the last 24 months.

Alex Burghart: The Cabinet Office does not own any vehicles and has not purchased any in the last 24 months.

Ministers: Official Residences

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Ministers were using grace and favour properties as of 31 January 2023; and who the occupants of those properties are.

Jeremy Quin: As has been the case under successive administrations, the Prime Minister allocates official residences to ministers, either on the grounds of security or to allow them to better perform their official duties. The following official residences are currently allocated to Ministers:Flats above 10 and 11 Downing Street, which are allocated to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer respectively;Hillsborough Castle and Stormont which are available for Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office while on duty in Northern Ireland;1 Carlton Gardens, which is allocated to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; andThe Chequers and Dorneywood estates are owned and managed by trustees and are available to Ministers for both official and private use and are allocated to the Prime Minister and Chancellor respectively.Admiralty House is part of the Government estate, which includes rooms that could be used as residential accommodation as required.

Ministers: Conduct

Angela Rayner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department holds any record of a complaint made by a civil servant about the conduct of a Minister in March 2021.

Jeremy Quin: HR processes are confidential and therefore we do not comment on complaints, including whether they are received or not received.

Government Departments: Bullying and Harassment

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of policies to deal with bullying and harassment in Government departments.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that all those working in Government Departments receive training on bullying and harassment.

Jeremy Quin: There are model policies in place for use by departments on Dispute Resolution and Discipline, which cover all aspects of bullying and harassment, including processes for employees to follow to ensure that Civil Service managers and employees have the right advice and options available to them for raising their concerns, with signposting to the appropriate support. Our model guidance also includes a separate Sexual Harassment policy and guidance. CSHR have provided guidance and training for investigations being carried out internally in departments to support departments to investigate all issues raised. Processes include specific advice and guidance relating to handling all disputes with specific advice on bullying and harassment complaints. We provide materials for cross-departmental ‘Speak Up’ campaigns to encourage individuals to come forward to report poor behaviours. The Civil Service Diversity & Inclusion Strategy 2022-2025 has specific actions to take in continuing to address bullying and harassment within the Civil Service: (a) review progress made within departments on implementing the recommendations from the 2018 major review by Dame Sue Owen of the Civil Service arrangements for tackling bullying, harassment and discrimination; to identify what more we can do to continue to make progress (b) develop our central policies around sexual harassment, safeguarding and domestic violence, building on those already in place, along with clear employee assistance routes to support victims. Activity to deliver on those commitments has begun and is due to be completed within the lifetime of the strategy. As part of the leadership and management curriculum as set out in Leading to Deliver: A Leadership and Management Prospectus, we are ensuring that inclusion is integral to the design, ensuring that it supports our objectives, setting clear expectations for all leaders and managers at all levels and providing managers with the skills to have challenging conversations and investigate if needed. We have also recently developed a new course of Civil Service Expectations which sets out expectations of civil servants, covering Civil Service Values, the legislation and the support available for employees.

Cabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Department’s publication of government procurement card spending over £500 in February 2022, what goods or services were purchased from (a) Fraser Hart on 7 February 2022, (b) EB Bespoke Cabinet on 8 February 2022, and (c) The Gestalt Centre Ltd. on 8 February 2022, and for what purpose were they required.

Alex Burghart: Transaction (a) was a fraudulent transaction. The full amount was refunded and card cancelled after being reported to the card issuer and was not perpetrated by a civil servant. Internal Cabinet Office fraud reporting protocols were followed from the outset.Transaction (b) The training was purchased for LGBT+ mental health interventions as part of the then D&I priorities plan.Transaction (c) was for modules of the Gestalt Centre’s Group Facilitation Certification for individual staff learning and development.

Bullying and Harassment

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on training for Ministers on bullying and harassment in the workplace.

Jeremy Quin: The Prime Minister’s expectations of Ministers are set out in the Ministerial Code, which makes clear that Ministers are expected to maintain high standards of behaviour and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety.The Ministerial Code states that ‘Ministers should be professional in all their dealings and treat all those with whom they come into contact with consideration and respect. Working relationships, including with civil servants, ministerial and parliamentary colleagues and parliamentary staff should be proper and appropriate. Harassing, bullying or other inappropriate or discriminating behaviour wherever it takes place is not consistent with the Ministerial Code and will not be tolerated.’

Blood: Contamination

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the oral statement on Infected Blood Inquiry of 15 December 2022, Official Report column 1249, if he will publish a plan for the delivery of compensation to the infected blood community

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the oral statement on Infected Blood Inquiry of 15 December 2022, Official Report column 1249, when the process of verification and registration of the affected groups of people who are part of the infected blood community will begin.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the oral statement on Infected Blood Inquiry of 15 December 2022, Official Report column 1249, what steps he is taking to consult the infected blood community on compensation for that group.

Jeremy Quin: As I said in my statement of 15 December 2022, it is my intention to update Parliament as we make progress in consideration of compensation. Work is underway across Government in order to ensure that the Government is ready to act swiftly in response to Sir Brian Langstaff’s final report when it is delivered. I welcome the fact that both Sir Robert Francis’ Study and Sir Brian’s Inquiry have engaged extensively with the infected and affected community and I plan to meet and hear from people impacted as our work progresses, and I expect to do so soon.

Cabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Department’s publication of government procurement card spending over £500 for December 2021, what items were purchased for £1,941.60 under transaction reference 9764897355 on 23 December 2021; and for what purpose were they required.

Alex Burghart: Transaction 9764897355 was for the purchase of Challenge Coins for the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function. These were used for the Counter Fraud Function’s diplomatic work, where they were awarded to fellow counter fraud experts in partner countries and other government organisations in recognition of excellent service to countering fraud. This formed part of the Government’s ongoing work to build constructive relationships with international partners, which are vital to tackling global fraud and safeguarding British people from fraud.

Cabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department’s publication of government procurement card spending over £500 for November 2021, for how many (a) nights and (b) individuals was £9,237.56 spent on accommodation at the Tianjin Binhai Yihao Jiudian hotel in Tianjin, China, on 8 November 2021; and for what purpose was it required.

Alex Burghart: The COP President Designate and his delegation of 10 officials spent two nights in the Tianjin Binhai Yihao Jiudian hotel in Tianjin, China from 5-6th September 2021 as part of talks with the Chinese Government. The delegation was required in Chinese Government approved hotel accommodation, and was subject to rigorous COVID protocols at a time when travel to China was severely restricted. The trip was a key event in the COP26 President Designate’s negotiations with the Chinese government, and was an important part of the UK’s successful leadership of COP26 in Glasgow. Costs for the trip were also declared in the Cabinet Office Ministerial Transparency return for the second quarter of 2021. This information is available in the public domain on GOV.UK.

Mortality Rates

Wes Streeting: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS provisional Statistical bulletins on Deaths registered weekly in England and Wales, published January 2023, if he will make an assessment of the reasons for which excess deaths have increased in the first three weeks of 2023.

Jeremy Quin: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 3 February is attached. UKSA Response (pdf, 110.9KB)

Mortality Rates

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of ONS data on excess deaths.

Jeremy Quin: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon. Member's Parliamentary Question of 1 February is attached.  UKSA Response (pdf, 114.3KB)

Cabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Department’s publication of government procurement card spending over £500 in 2021, what services were purchased from (a) McConnell Chartered Surveyors on 25 February 2021, and (b) The Private Therapy Clinic on 3 June 2021; and for what purpose were they required.

Alex Burghart: Transaction (a) is in relation to a workplace adjustment for a member of staff.Transaction (b) also relates to a workplace adjustment for a member of staff.

Cabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Department’s publication of government procurement card spending over £500 in 2020, what goods or services were purchased from (a) Instant Removal Quotes on 29 April 2020 and (b) We Brand 4 You on 22 December 2020; and for what purpose were they required.

Alex Burghart: Transaction (a) was for the transport of hardware between Cabinet Office hub locations as part of an office rationalisation.Transaction (b) was for the equipping of COBR conference rooms.

Cabinet Office: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Department’s publication of government procurement card spending over £500 for April 2022, what items were purchased from (a) Go Outdoors Retail Ltd and (b) Decathlon UK Ltd; and for what purpose were they required.

Alex Burghart: Items under the spend referenced were purchased by the COBR Unit for national resilience and emergency planning purposes.